The Mummy 2017
by BackTheBlue
Summary: ' When Nick desperately sees Ahmanet being tortures he starts to feel remorse for her and helps her escape and bound love with the Princess. (Note I did not write this story so full credits to Frye7 on AchieveOurOwn he is the original author I did not change or write anything in this story this is only so people can read it here since not everyone uses Achieve)
1. Chapter 1

Nick was walking on the flyover metallic catwalk, when his gaze dropped on her. Ahmanet. The Egyptian princess was down there, kneeling and chained to the floor. Transparent tubes were stuck into her body, showing the mercury they were pumping in her veins. Her countenance expressed pure suffering, the silver liquid was burning in her body. She had her teeth gritted, trying not to scream.

Nick's gaze met Ahmanet's. Her inhuman eyes were full of huge pain, both physical and emotional. They looked at him, imploring, asking him to understand her, to help her, to choose her.

Something broke inside Nick, something that till that moment had been protected by the veil of superficiality and indifference that used to cloak Nick's life. That veil has just been ripped by a sudden awareness. Ahmanet had always just wanted to be loved, but she had been betrayed, robbed of everything that had been promised to her. Suddendly all her certainties had collapsed, and by her father's fault, the closest person to her, the only family she had. Ahmanet couldn't had forgiven that. Her rage and her pain for the betrayal had taken the princess to make a deal with Seth, who gave her immense powers. With them, she could had taken back everything she had the right to possess, and she could have gotten her vengeance. And so she did. She killed her father and her stepbrother with her own hands. But for this she had been mummified alive, and trapped in who knows what strange limbo between life and death for three thousand years. This till Nick has liberated her, but also leaded her straight in the hands of a secret society which wanted to vivisect and study her.

While he was observing her pale and still half decomposed face, Nick couldn't help asking himself if she haven't suffered enough for one single life.

He stopped and turned totally to her. He knew that woman was a great danger for humanity and that he couldn't be so selfish to help her. But Ahmanet had chosen him. She wanted to make him become a earthly god, so powerful to dominate the world. And she wanted to be his queen, his lover. It appeared clear to him that more than everything Ahmanet wanted to take back what was stolen from her, but she also craved to be loved. By him, a man she didn't even know, but who has liberated her from her prison, saving her. And the princess has promised him to eliminate the mediocrity that used to mark his life, and to replace it with a huge power. Everything to be loved, to be able to trust someone, to not be betrayed, never again.

The desire in her imploring eyes was so deep and desperate that hurt Nick. It hurt him so much that for the second time in two days he felt the impelling need to help.

The first time had been with Jenny, when the plane precipitated and he gave her the only parachute present on board. It has been an act so spontaneous that left him astonished. Then he saw the cause of it in the guilt he felt, even if superficially, for a woman he didn't love, but just used to reach his aim. Maybe it has also been his desire of redemption that pushed him to act like that in a moment so extreme.

However, nothing of this could be compared with the pain and the need to help Ahmanet which he felt in that moment. He wished to help her with all his heart, as he had never wanted anything in his life. He would have taken her away from there, in a safe place.

Nick looked at her for a long moment. Ahmanet's four amber eyes stood anchored to him's, perceiving everything around her but concentrating just on him. Her chosen was the only thing she cared about.

Nick read the determination under her pain and remembered Ahmanet had great plans for the two of them. She had been the future queen of Egypt, she wouldn't have been pleased to just flee and hide somewhere with him.

Nick twisted his lips, but then he remembered Henry's words. The Prodigium's leader said that sometimes a sacrifice is necessary to save the world. And if he had accepted the power Ahmanet was offering to him, maybe he would have been strong enough to contain her and show her another way, an other life which didn't pursue power or vengeance. But he had to be strong enough to do it, to save the world from her and her from herself. And he would.

Nick smiled, and saw Ahmanet's eyes captured that movement and came back to him's with curiosity. He nodded slowly to her and saw the corner of her mouth curled upwards. Despite of the violent whiteness of her face, the disquieting black runes and the four amber eyes clearly not human, the sweetness that appeared on Ahmanet's face make her, at Nick's eyes, more beautiful than the woman he saw in his visions, and than every other he had ever seen.

He took delight of that vision for some moments, then an hand touch on his shoulder took him back to reality. Nick slowly turned his head, reluctant to leave Ahmanet's eyes. It was Jenny, she was urging him to continue to walk. He was just able to get the meaning of what she was saying, because he didn't care of it, as he didn't care of her. He absently nodded, but then he turned again to Ahmanet.

The princess was furious, the rage evident in her contracted features and murdering look, pointed on Jenny.

Nick didn't know which was the exact capacity of her power, but he understood he had to act quickly if he wanted that no one would be harmed.

"I want to talk to her." he said aloud.

"What?" asked Jenny, total disbelief transpired from her voice. But Nick didn't care, he had eyes just for Ahmanet, and the princess for him.

"Take me down there, to her." he said, coldly.

There was a moment of silence while Jenny was pondering on if that was a good idea or not. Then she sighed and said "This way", surpassing him.

Nick followed her, asking himself if the princess had understood that he was going to her. Probably yes, because her gaze softened. She smiled at him, and Nick reciprocated.

Ahmanet didn't know him, but she had been the only one to throw him a rescue ropes, to give him an opportunity to change his life. And he would have done the same for her. The decision had been taken


	2. Chapter 2

Nick and Jenny went down the stairs slowly, with their eyes pointed on Ahmanet.

The princess stared at them with a predator gaze and a confident smile on her lips, but her jaw was contracted. Prodigium's men were still injecting the mercury in her veins, and Nick had felt a part of the great pain the silver liquid was giving her while he was in a vision. He couldn't understand how an organisation which was supposed to fight the evil could do it with such sadist methods. It didn't make them better than the monsters they wanted to fight. He asked himself if it wasn't an idea of Henry. Or better, of the worse part of him. Probably yes, it was.

Even Jenny had been shocked to hear what the Prodigium's leader wanted to do to the mummy. Instead, Nick didn't think the princess had understood their plans, or she wouldn't have been so calm. No, maybe Ahmanet was still evaluating the situation, or waiting for his next move. And Nick had no intention to let her wait and suffer for long.

He caught Jenny's hand, implicity asking her to stop right there, and to let him go ahead alone. She stared at him, upset, but didn't follow him.

He kept walking, till halting himself before the princess.

Ahmanet's smile softened, and her four amber eyes shone when she whispered "My chosen..."

Suddendly the room disappeared, and Nick found himself in Egypt, before the Piramids, looking at the beautiful woman who has already called him like that in other times.

She wore a simple but regal tunic, whose flaps fluttered in the desert dry wind, and a pair of sandals. Her sleek arms were decorated by many golden bracelets, which, like the earrings, sparkled at the sun light, creating a beautiful contrast with the young woman's tane skin. The same effect was given by the numerous rings on her fingers, whose tips were painted with the lively colour of the sky. Her long, black hairs were braided, and some sinuous make up's lines showed up her fierce, dark eyes, pointed on him. She seemed a goddess.

Before of that divine vision, Nick felt himself as the last nothingness on Earth, definitely unworthy of being at her presence. Without thinking, he bowed his head lightly, unable to look away.

Ahmanet smiled, and for a moment her eyes shone with satisfation, then she put an hand under his chin and lifted his head. "You are my chosen, you don't have to bend down to me. When I'll have completed the ritual, you will be equal to me, and I will be your queen. It will be the others who must bend down before you."

The enormity of what she was saying hit Nick with the strenght of an hammer, taking his mind back to the present. He couldn't hold himself back to ask "Why me?"

Ahmanet's face softened again as she answered "You saved me. And you had been the only one who has made a love's act to me, since my father betrayed me." She tightened her jaw and diverted her gaze, that wound dating on five thousand years ago still hadn't been healed.

Nick felt the need to comfort her, the impulse of touching her face in a gentle caress, but he held himself back. That wasn't the reality, Ahmanet was still suffering and they didn't have much time, soon someone would have interrupted them. He didn't have the time to do what he wanted to, but he at least left a sweet smile to draw on his face, and she seemed to appreciate it. Then he asked "Which are your projects for us, for you?"

Ahmanet took her hand away from his chin with a fluid movement, letting her arm to lie down on her hip, and answered "I want to take back what had been denied to me. What is mine for right."

"Egypt's throne?" asked Nick.

Ahmanet smiled and came closer to him, making her body to adhered to him's. "Egypt, my love, will be just the beginning." She accosted her face to him's, and Nick looked as hypnotized at princess' sensual lips which were approaching to him's. But before they could meet, Ahmanet moaned and had to hold to him for not falling.

"But before of this, I shall liberate us from that insects who believe they can oppose to us." she said in a hiss, standing up.

"Wait" asked Nick, and she turned again to him, lightly surprised. "I don't want to see you suffer, but I wish you couldn't kill all those men too."

She slighty arched an eyebrow, then she said "They will hunt us, my chosen, and they will try to kill you too. They have already planned this, and you know it. They don't deserve your mercy, as they don't deserve mine. And I'll make them pay for what they are doing to me." She concluded.

But Nick didn't want to surrender. In that story there wasn't a clear dinstintion between good and bad, the reality was more complex than this. And he didn't want some people to die if it could have been avoided. So he asked "If in some way I succeded in distracting them, could you escape killing just those of them who hinder you?"

Ahmanet took a deep breath, looking straight into his eyes.

"Please" he prayed her.

The princess clearly didn't understand why she had to do that, but she acquiesced "Even if I don't see the reason to, I'll try, my chosen. But you have to know that I'll have to take the life of one of them because my body could come back as it had been."

"I understand, and I thank you." he said, and then he asked "What will you do then?"

"I'll go to take the stone, and put it back on the hilt of Seth's dagger." Answered the princess, her determination shone through her voice.

Nick nodded, and said "I'll take the dagger and then I'll flee. Will you be able to find me?"

Ahmanet chuckled for the naive foolishness of the question "Of course, my chosen, I can perceive both you and Seth's weapon, everywhere you are." Her eyes shone in amusement, but then they shutted, while her face contorcted in a grimace of pain. "I can't keep this vision anymore, that silver liquid burns too much, I can't concentrate." She stared at him intensely "See you soon, my chosen."

Then everything became dark.


	3. Chapter 3

The room in the Prodigium's base suddendly reappeared around him. Nick blinked twice, stunned by the strange sensation he felt every time he came back to reality. He also felt Jenny's hand holding him by an arm, and a sense of annoyance to her touch. Which right had that woman to touch him like that? Nick thought she had understood that there hadn't been any feeling in that night spent togethere.

He sighed and said "I'm fine", taking an hand to his face. He had to think quickly. "I'm fine, I just need a moment." He repeated, gently sent away Jenny with an arm.

He had to create a diversion to let Ahmanet escape without killing too many people.

"What had she done to you?" Jenny's voice was full of worry for him and repugnance for the mummy.

Nick frowned, that woman didn't know anything about Ahmanet, about her rage, her pain, she had no right to judge her. Nick instead had felt them as his owns when the princess had showed him her story. He knew, and he have understood that Ahmanet had never had a choice. But that fact would have changed soon.

"She has just talked to me" he answered "I need to go away from there for a bit..." He took a deep breath. Jenny was worried about him, but Ahmanet didn't like her behaviour at all, it was evident. If the woman kept going like that, the princess would have killed her at the first occasion. And he couldn't allow that. Jenny and Prodigium's men wouldn't have understood his desire to help Ahmanet, on the contrary, if they had known it, they would have tried to stop him. But not because of it they deserved to die. He knew that at their eyes it would have appeared senseless and dangerous. Maybe they would have even thought that she was controlling him, but that wasn't true. Nick knew it. His desire to help her was spontaneous and authentic, born from the comprehension and the sense of communion he felt for her. And maybe also from something else.

He shook his head, that was neither the moment and the place to think about it.

Now he had to take Jenny away from there before Ahmanet free herself, or she wouldn't have had a good day, so he asked her "Coming with me?"

She looked at him, a bit surprised, but then she answered "Yes, of course" and followed him to the exit of the room. She didn't notice the look he exchanged with Ahmanet, neither the soft smile the princess directed to him.

Nick quickened his gait and asked her "Can you take me to Henry?"

"Certainly, why?"

"I need to talk to him." There was a moment of silence, then he asked "What have you done with the dagger?"

"We have examinated it. It seems the weapon herself doesn't possess any power, but it's just a medium between the body of the host and the stone. It is the stone that contains Seth's power." Explained her.

"Got it" he said, then he stopped: in the corridor's wall there was a map of the complex. His gaze dropped on a room in particular, and an idea came to his mind. "And where it is now?" Asked absently.

Jenny went closer and pointed him a room near his objective. "It is kept here."

Nick barely smiled, then he forced himself to come back serious. "And what is the procedure to follow in an emergency case?"

Jenny stared at him, puzzled by the question, and he shrugged and explained "I don't know how many monsters you keep here, but I suppose there is an emergency proceeding in case of accident...if Henry loose the controll, or something happens, you know...and if I have to stay here until you decide what to do with me, I'd like to know it."

Jenny nodded and said "Of course." She came close to the map too "Here there are the electrical generators and an emergency switches, which can remove and re-run the electrical current, in case of breakdown of the system." She pointed him the room he had already eyed, and kept on "I think there is a different procedure for every single case, except for Ahmanet's scape. She has been here for a too short time, Prodigium's men still haven't prepared an effective proceeding of defense against her. Anyway, her scape is almost impossible now, the mercury weakens her and allow us to keep her under controll. I think if she succedes to escape we will have to follow the standard procedure, by the way. The technical staff and the scientists would have been evacuated, the cells with the prisoners instantly sealed, and the security personnel warned and directed to the source of the problem." She made a break "From what I know, Henry's room would have been sealed too."

Nick smiled and said "Well, then we hope nothing happens." And went on in the corridor.

Ahmanet kept her eyes pointed on her chosen and the mortal who was with him till they left the room, wishing to tighten to him and to kill her. That woman evidently hadn't understood she must stay away from him. Ahmanet swore to herself that if the mortal had kept behaving like that, she would have killed her at the first occasion with her own hands.

Then she looked around, evaluating the situation. Her eyes stopped right on what she was searching for. A little manhole. She smiled, pleased.

Soon her chosen would have create the diversion he had promised her, but she had to be ready to escape. And she couldn't be ready in that conditions. She felt more weak and vulnerable for every new blob of mercury that entered her body. And she hated to feel like this, she had swore to herself that she would have never felt powerless again before men. And, for the Gods, she wouldn't.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, then she started to whisper dark words in ancyent Egyptian, evoking Seth's power.

An unique servitor answered to her call, just one, small insect, that would have allow her to flee. With its help, she could have easely escaped herself, without the need of any diversion, but her chosen prayed her not to kill more men than she had to. That insects didn't deserve it, but for his love she would have spared them. Or, at least, the ones who wouldn't have hinder her.

She smiled evilly, while she kept whispering and impregnating her small servitor of her power. She observed it to go to one of those men in front of those strange mirrors that didn't reflect what was around them, but words, numbers and drawings. The insect climbed on the man's body and disappeared in one of his ears, subjugating him to Ahmanet's power and allowing her to controll his mind. She commanded him to stop the silver liquid, to make it get out from her body. And so he did.

Ahmanet sighed while the mercury was slowly sliding away and her power was coming back to seethe inside her, strong, impetuous, and unstoppable.

The princess opened her eyes and smiled. She was ready.

Nick lied himself down to a wall, with a slight moan of pain.

Jenny was immediately at his side, she put and hand on his shoulder and asked him if he was okay.

Nick didn't answer immediately, but when he did, he made his voice the more suffering he could "I need water. I have to wash my face. Take me to a bathroom, please." He saw her to hesitate, maybe she thought he needed a medical help, so he added "Then I will feel better, seriously."

She nodded and guided him to the nearest bathroom, the one next to the generators' room, right when he wanted to go. He washed his face, sighed and turned to her, pulling her in the room with him, and closed the door.

"Thank you, Jenny, for everything." She smiled, and he reciprocated. Then he took an hand behind his back and pressed the switch behind him. The light turned off, and the room fell in the darkness.

"Nick?" He heard Jenny called him, scared, and he screamed as if he didn't know what was happening, then he threw a towel in the direction of her face, exited the bathroom and locked the door.

"Forgive me, Jenny" he whispered, aware of having used her once more, but also that he couldn't do anyway.

He put the bathroom's key in a pocket and went to the generators' room. There was one single guard, confused by the screams and the hits that came from the bathroom's direction.

"A woman is closed there, help me, I can't calm her down and neither let her get out!" He shouted, doing his best to seem troubled.

The man nodded and left his position, running towards the bathroom without looking back. Too naive to worry or suspect of him.

Nick run inside the room, and went to a big red lever. If he had lowered it, the electrical current would have been interrupted, but it would have been an hitch that could have been solved in a short time. Too short. So he removed some cables here and there, and turned some casual handle before lowering the emergency lever. The entire complex fell in the darkness. Red flashing light and allarm's sirens get into operation, while all the cells sealed.

Nick smiled and run to the dagger's room, aware that he wouldn't have found obstacles. And so it was. Many men were running in different directions, but nobody tried to stop him. He took the dagger and went to the nearest emergency exit, running without looking back. Now he had to get out of there and lead HER in a safe place.

Ahmanet observed a man talking troubled with the one under her controll. She didn't understand the words, but she guessed the man knew something was wrong. She had to act quickly. She was going to command her servitor to liberate her, when the room fell in the darkness, a sharp and hammered sound diffused in the air and many red lights started to flash.

Ahmanet smiled, her chosen did it.

She stood up, teared off tubes and chains from her body as they were made by papyrus' paper and commanded her servitor to take the other man to her.

Her four amber eyes could see in every condition of light, so she observed amused all the staff running to the exits, while one of them was fighting with her servitor to be able to follow them, but without any result.

She went to them, caught man's face and approached her's. She opened her mouth and sucked his vital essence, closing her eyes while her body came back as it had been once. She took a deep breath, smiled and let the empty human shell she held betweem her hands to drop to the floor.

Finally she felt complete again, alive again, herself again. It missed just one thing.

She commanded her servitor to hold back the soldiers who were surely coming, then she expanded her senses. She perceived her chosen to run away from there with the dagger, and she perceived the stone too.

She smiled and wided her arms, rousing Seth's power against a wall, destroying it. She would have taken the stone, and then she would have reached HIM.

"Soon we will be together again, my chosen."


	4. Chapter 4

Nick found himself in a tight street, between the confused and troubled staff of the Prodigium. He hid the dagger under his shirt and quickly went away from there.

He didn't know where to go now, he lived in New York, not in London. He didn't know so well that city too, he just did a travel or two there. So, for now, the better thing he could do was taking a room in an hotel. It wasn't the best choice, but nothing else came to his mind, and he didn't have so much time. Prodigium's men surely had the resources to find him, but with the chaos he roused in their base, they would have been busy for a long time. Or so he hoped.

Nick still had his wallet with him, his documents, money, and credit card, so he went to a shop to buy something to eat. He took different kinds of food, not knowing what Ahmanet liked, but smiled when he saw some fruits she surely would have appreciated. He took them too and when he paid, he asked to the seller for an hotel. The man told him many names, and Nick chose one of them that wasn't too near to the Prodigium's base, but neither too far.

He exited the shop and started walking towards the hotel, but suddendly he heared a big crash. He turned to the direction of the noise, as the crowd did, but couldn't see anything.

"Ahmanet's escaped" Nick thought, but he didn't smiled. The princess didn't know that city, that new world, and how to behave in there, and neither she would cared about it. All she wanted to do in that moment was finding the stone, and it didn't matter if she hurted someone in doing it. She had rush to take the stone, and she was angry for the treatement Prodigium's men had reserved to her. She wasn't in the best mood to pay attention on who her actions could harm. Some innocents could have die. And Nick couldn't allow that. He didn't want her to be like this. He would have saved her from the evil that tried to controll her.

With a new determination in him, he run towards the source of that noise.

Ahmanet got out to the Prodigium's base, and observed the outside.

"So this is the new world" she said.

Her gaze went from the high skyscrapers which sparkled at the sun light, to the strange clothes people wore, to the even stranger means of transport they used. She didn't see horses or carts, just a lot of metallic vehicols that made a great noise. But that wasn't the Egypt. Maybe her homeland would have looked like how it was at her time. She didn't know that, but she wanted to find it out. And she had more important things to do than admire the new world.

She turned to the direction of the stone, but noticed that a little crowd had stopped to watch her with curiosity. They pointed to her some strange, metallic, little objects that sometimes flashed. She didn't have the foggiest idea of what they were, they didn't harm her, but she still didn't like them. She was tired and very, very angry. Her patiente lost, the princess lifted an hand to use her power against those stupid mortals, when a voice stopped her. HIS voice.

"Ahmanet! Wait!" Her chosen was running towards her. It was the first time he called her with her name. It sounded so right. She smiled and lowered her hand, waiting for him to reach her.

He stopped before her, and asked "Please, don't harm these people, they don't know anything at all, they are innocents, out of this story."

"*What is going on here?*" asked one of them, watching her and what remained of the wall behind her, puzzled.

She didn't understand a word, but her chosen answered "*Nothing, we are just shooting a new movie. I have to ask you all to clear the area, please.*" Those people seemed pleased by his answer, and also a little bit excited.

Then, her chosen turned to her, and said "We have to go away from here. I'll take a room for us, come."

He took her for an hand and started to walk, but Ahmanet stopped him.

"I still haven't taken the stone."

"Don't worry about it, we will take it later, now we have to move" he probably saw that she wasn't totally convinced, because he added "Trust me."

That words made her to smile and soften her gaze as she answered "Always, my chosen." Then she followed him.

They walked quickly through the streets, till they entered an high and large building. A man behind a desk seemed to be waiting for them.

"Let me talk to him" whispered her chosen.

Ahmanet simply nodded, she couldn't speak their language.

"*We wish a room for two, the name is Morton. We will stay one day*" said her chosen, giving the man a silver card.

"*Yes sir, the number is 22*" he passed that card into a metallic box and gave it back to her chosen with a key. Then he launched Ahmanet a strange and curious look.

"*She is doing a cosplay*" explained her chosen.

"*I didn't know there was an event for cosplayer in the city*" said the man, surprised. "*It's very beautiful and realistic by the way*" he added.

"*It's a friend's private party*" her chosen smiled to him, then took her for an hand again and directed to two metallic doors. He pressed a button, and they opened. Ahmanet observed them surprised, and her chosen smiled and told her "I don't think there is a word for this in your language. In mine, it's called an *elevator*. It took people up and down in a building. Our room is at the third floor, we can reach it by the stairs or by this."

He pressed a button and the elevator's doors closed, then Ahmanet felt a little thrust upwards and the object started moving. She unawares tightened her grip on his hand, a bit nervous.

"Don't worry, it's safe, and it won't last for long." He hadn't even finished to talk, that they heard a little noise, and the doors opened. "See? We are already arrived." He said, and started walking with her in the corridor.

Ahmanet followed him slowly, with caution, and her chosen said "Don't worry, we are safe here, for the moment."

She snorted and said "I'm not one of those girls who need to be saved, you know. But the fact is that this world is totally new for me. And except for you, all the things I saw of it harmed me. I'm not the princess of Egypt anymore, no one knows me, no one will bend down before me and serve me. For now, at least. So I have to be careful with things I don't know. Except if I can use my power, but I take it that we are moving in disguise, aren't we?"

"We are, in fact. I'm sorry if I treated you as a woman in danger who needs help. Obviusly you are not that kind of woman. I know it, I have seen it." He stopped in front of a door and opened it, smiling at her. Ahmanet reciprocated, grateful.

"Here we are" he said, inviting her to enter the room for first, and so she did.

The room was quite big, with large windows, some furniture, a bathroom and a big bed, clearly made for two people. Ahmanet sat on it and asked "What are we doing here?" She was impatient to go and take the stone.

Her chosen looked at her, a little bit surprised by the question "You need to rest, or better, to sleep."

"I have slept for five thousand years. I am tired to rest." She answered, firm.

"Yes, but Prodigium's men tortured you. Do you not even feel a little weak?" he insisted.

"My power is stronger than ever. I am ready to take back what is mine, and to fight for that." She answered back.

Her chosen rolled his eyes at her stubborness and Ahmanet observed that spontaneous movement slightly surprised. No one would had ever dared to do it before her when she was a mortal princess. But now that she had Seth's power, she have thought that people wouldn't have behaved like that even more. She inclined her head, knowing that she was very wrong about her chosen. He probably would have kept on behaving like he always did, because he was by her side, he wasn't afraid of her. So he would have been still himself, or, at least, since Ahmanet had concluded the ritual. Then he would have changed, and probably totally devoted his life to her. The princess craved that moment, craved the total and unconditional love of someone. She had been so closed to have it with her previous chosen. She remembered to have taken a man who was her servitor, yes, but who also desired the absolute power of Seth, it was obvious. And that was the real reason for what he had chosen her path. But with the ritual, that would have changed, she was sure of it.

"At least eat something" her chosen's voice took her mind back to reality, and she looked at him. "Please" he added. In that very moment Ahmanet realised how hungry was her. She nodded, surprised, and watched him to go and take something from some bags.

That man was different. The realisation hit Ahmanet like a sudden lightning in a clear sky. That man worried for her, cared about her. He didn't crave the power, he just wanted to help her. He hadn't said anything about it, but she had seen the truth in his eyes, and she could still see it in how she behave with her. Furthermore, when she had showed him her story she had felt him to understand her pain, and to share it. She had felt somehing to break inside him. Ahmanet didn't know the man he was before that moment, but she knew the man he had become after it. And Ahmanet liked him, also because she knew that he didn't make that shift because of her power, but he did it by himself, and for her. And the princess really didn't know if she wanted to loose that man in Seth's power.

"I didn't know what to buy, but I thought you surely would have appreciated these." Her chosen's voice interrupted her thoughts once more. He was handing her some dates.

Her jaw dropped and she could feel her eyes to shine. Dates were her favourite fruit, and she didn't think she could have eaten them again.

Her chosen saw her happiness and said "I hope you like them, even if they didn't come from Egypt" giving the dates to her with a smile.

She tasted them, closing her eyes, savouring them deeply. That was the first food she had eaten since she had been mummified. Ahmanet didn't know how it was possible that they didn't come from her homeland, but they were almost as sweet as she remembered. The princess ate them all, feeling almost completely alive again. Almost. One other thing came to her mind, one that she had thought to do after the ritual. But seeing how her chosen worried for her just heated up her heart. Ahmanet stood and came closer to him.

He put the dagger on the bed and said "You need to eat something more. And to rest."

Ahmanet approached him and answered "I'm not tired" with a strange voice.

Nick looked at her, noticed her intense gaze, and his heart quickened. That wasn't a vision, that was the reality. The princess was there, right in front of him, and she was coming closer.

"Okay" he swallowed "I'm glad you liked the dates."

Ahmanet caressed his hair, and her hand lowered till stopping on his cheeck. Nick wouldn't ever said her four amber eyes could look so beautiful, sensual and...tempters. But they did.

The princess smiled dearly, looking deeply into his wonderful blue eyes, and retyped "I like you and your worry for me so much more" her gaze dropped on his lips.

"Ahmanet..." her chosen whispered, as if he feared to break the feel. The princess had never heard a better sound than her name whispered so sweetly by her chosen.

They didn't know who was the first to move on, but the following moment they were kissing each other. It was slow and sweet at the beginning, but soon Ahmanet took the controll, and their tongues met. She put in the kiss all her tension, all her rage and pain, but also all her relief and her need of love. And Nick was ready and very happy to please her.

Jenny was very angry. She had been liberated from that bathroom after what seemed hours to her, but actually had been just half an hour.

The chaos reigned on the Prodigium's base.

She had heard about the short circuit, and an idea of what had really happened started to form in her mind.

Jenny shook her head and went right to Henry's office. They had unlocked the room because there hadn't been any emergency. Yes, Ahmanet had escaped, and they couldn't find Seth's dagger anywhere, but the base wasn't in danger. The princess had harmed no one, just two man. One had been subjugated by her power, and she had sucked the vital essence of the other. But it could have been worse than that, considerating what those "humans" did to Ahmanet.

Jenny shook her head again, she couldn't defende that mummy.

She entered Henry's office, and asked "How could it happen?" Her voice sound a little hysterical, but she didn't care. Ahmanet was a great danger, and she had no idea of where Nick could be.

Henry arched both his eyebrows and answered "Ask to your soldier friend. The diversion he created has allowed Ahmanet to escape undisturbed. We couldn't do anything to stop her! And now she is free!"

"So it had been Nick?" She asked, lowering her voice and her eyes.

"Yes, I saw the cameras shooting, he closed you in the bathroom and then he went right to the generator's room. How could he know it was there?" Henry looked at her deeply in her eyes.

"I told him" she admitted "He wanted to know the emergency proceeding, so I told him."

"Wonderful. Because after his little joke, he took Seth's dagger and escaped." Henry sighed tiredly and sat.

"This is in part my fault, I should have been more detached to him, especially after what he did to me. But what if Ahmanet is controlling him?" Jenny asked with an allarmed voice.

"If she is, we will find it out soon enough" answered Henry, calm.

"What are you talking about?" Asked the woman, puzzled.

"We have traced our dear Nick Morton." Henry smiled, affable "My men are already going to take him."


	5. Chapter 5

The kiss became more and more appassionated while Ahmanet and Nick's hands started to explore each other bodies.

The princess smiled: her Chosen was both fiery and sweet, as if he wanted to show her that he was by her side, and that she could trust him totally. At the same time, he seemed very impatient of a deeper contact. His hands tightened her hips, stroking them appasionately and taking her closer to him. His hug was the very first place in which Ahmanet had felt herself at home since a long time. She didn't remember to have felt a feeling so intense even when she was the future queen of Egypt. And it was immensely more valuable of any throne.

Nick kissed her again and again, tasting her deeply. He lifted an hand and passed it through her hair. Now that her body was totally recomposed they weren't ruined anymore, and felt like esteemed silk. His hand stroked her nape and his tongue caressed her's. A soft moan came out princess' throat, and it was the best sound Nick had ever heard.

Ahmanet thrusted him on the bed and gave him a confident, predatory smile. Nick reciprocated with a lustful look that went down her body, but then softened when he met her eyes and the deep feeling in there. It wasn't properly love, but something stronger, a sense of bond that he couldn't totally explain. But Nick knew he had started to share it as well. And he liked it, so much.

Ahmanet went to the bed and straddled him. Now the lust filled her eyes too, the princess could feel it run into her veins. She lowered and kissed him. She knew they had to hurry and find the stone. Her Chosen would have been safe just when he would have gotten Seth's power. But in that moment she didn't care. Her blood was boiling for him, every part of her body was claiming him. And Ahmanet didn't want to wait anymore. She kissed him with hunger, lust and desire, desperate desire. Her hands slipped under his t-shirt, finding his warm skin, his toned abdominal. She moved her mouth on his jaw, then on his neck, going slowly down his body. She bit him sometimes in her descent, marking her Chosen as hers and only hers again and again. Ahmanet knew they were already bonded in a deeper way than this, but she just couldn't help it. And his skin tasted so delicious, almost as his moans of pleasure. She lifted his t-shirt and moved her tongue between his abdominal, biting some of them too. His muscles contracted under her mouth, and feeling their tension just increased her desire. She kissed and licked him lower and lower, but before she could reach and tear away his trousers, her Chosen sat and took her face up to kiss her. He was tender at first, but a moment later he became more and more appassionated, and Ahmanet smiled. He had lost his controll now, she could feel it. His hands started to explore her body with more confidence, searching for a way to take off the mummy's bandages that still wrapped her. They were so warm against her cold skin, and emanated a fire that soon would have completely burned her. And she craved that moment.

Ahmanet moaned when her Chosen moved his mouth on her neck, sucking it hard, but then she froze.

Something was wrong.

Her inhuman eyes threw open and the princess expanded her perception. She felt an uncomfortable sense of danger. Ahmanet forced her gaze through the room's walls and saw them. Men dressed in black, with long and slender weapons in their hands. She had already proved them on her skin when she still wasn't totally herself again. And she didn't want to repeat the experience.

Ahmanet stood up and turned to the door, with murderous intentions in mind. Those stupid mortals had interrupted their moment. It would have been their last regret.

The princess appealed her powers, feeling the darkness to seethe with her rage. An evil smile rose on her face, while she waited patiently for her enemies' arrival.

A sudden touch on her shoulder made her to wince, and she almost lost the controll on her power, that pushed to come out, to vent on those insignificant rats. It was in tune with her worst emotions, and it always answered to her fury's call. In that moment it went very close to jump out and hit the sorroundings. But there was also her Chosen there, ans she must not harm him. She absolutely didn't want to.

Ahmanet took a deep breath and turned, back half directed to the door. An eye of her was looking for the soldiers, while the other three were pointed on her Chosen, who still had an hand on her shoulder. He was totally in tension, any muscle of his body was aimed and ready to action. His face was still showing the signs of his passion, but he was alert. Ahmanet hold back a small smile. It was evident at her eyes that he was a warrior. HER warrior. Ready to fight for her, to defend her, to support her. She could read it into his eyes.

"What is it?" asked him.

"Men dressed in black are going upstairs. They are coming for us." she answered, calm.

"Are you sure?" Nick came closer to her, his gaze on the door, totally focused on any sounds from the outside.

She just lifted an eyebrow to him. The princess surely wouldn't have interrupted their moment for a stupid doubt. Then her attention came back to the soldiers, and she said "They are close." Ahmanet lifted her arms, testing her power, preparing it. The evil and confident smile had returned on her face.

"Wait, you want to kill them?" asked her Chosen, in an uncertain tone that she didn't like at all.

"They deserve it. They are here to take us back to that infernal place, where they'll continue to torture me and they'll kill you. But now I'll show them how the real Hell is." Her smile was sadistic now.

Nick took a deep breath and said "Ahmanet, wait." He went in front of her and put both his hands on her shoulders, looking her straight in her four amber eyes. He didn't want her to be like this. He knew she could be better than this. He had seen it. Now she was acting like this just because of the curse, and because she believed to have no choice. But that wasn't true. "Listen, if you continue to kill people, they will never leave you alone. They'll continue to come for you."

"Then they will continue to die." Her gaze could cut the steel, as her tone.

"There is another way! You don't have to act like this!"

"But I want to. I want to feel their fear, to see their petrified eyes looking at me with pleadings in them. And then, I want to see their hope burns out in their eyes, when I'll kill them all, one by one." Her four orbs had never seemed so inhuman and evil to Nick.

"No, you don't. I know you had been better than this. When you were a princess, you were proud, fiery and determinated. But you were also kind, loving and good. You had changed just when you have accepted Seth's power. And you did it because of your fury and desperation, but I know that if you had succedeed in ascending the throne at that time, you wouldn't had been an evil, cruel and ruthless queen. You would have fought against the evil power inside you. And with a good aid, an affectionate partner at your side, you would have won. But they didn't give you the chance to."

Ahmamet looked at him with a strange gaze. She seemed fought, undecided between scream at him in anger or cry for the relief to had been comprehended. Her jaw was tight, as her fists. Nick understood he had to say something more to help her with her inner conflict.

"You know" he started, and Ahmanet slightly tilted her head, listening to him "now I'm very angry with your previous Chosen." She blinked, confused, and he continued "Yes, because he should have protected you and helped you. He must stay by your side and think of you, of your feeling. Not of his stupid ambitions. But he didn't, did he? As he didn't truly love you."

If possible, Ahmanet tightened her jaw also more. Her arms were trembling by the strenght with which she clenched her fists. Nick didn't want to harm her, so he added "His loss. He didn't know what an extraordinary person he had lost. What a fierce and beautiful woman he had lost. And what a terrible mistake he did." He came closer to her and lifted an hand to gently caress her cheek. Now she was looking and listening to him as her life depended on his following words. He smiled sweetly and whispered "But I'm not him. I won't abandon you. I will always be by your side and I'll always fight for the Good that remain inside you. I'll make it to prevail and win against Seth's Evil, so you can truly come back as you were. That's a promise. I'll keep it, or I'll die trying." Nick smiled at her, a reassuring smile. He knew the importance of what he had just said, but he also knew that he would have kept his word. And that he was sincere. The curse had not influenced his decision. It, as his desire to help Ahmanet, came directly from his heart. And he was sure the princess could see it in his eyes, because a shivering smile rose on her face. Her eyes were filling with tears while all her countenance softened. She leaned forward and kissed him slowly and gently, and was corresponded in kind.

The princess knew she was like a devil on Earth, but in that moment she felt as close to Heaven as never. That man, that god, was the one, the only one who could have ever been HER CHOSEN. She had only shared with him some few slices of her past life, but it seemed they had been more than sufficient to make him undestand her as no one had, never. He had seen the real princess Ahmanet, the one who everybody thought was dead that night of the ritual. Even her. But he could make her to remeber how she used to be, and how she loved to be before her father's betrayal. He had the capacity to look where the others couldn't, under the wickedness that was rooted so deeply in her. But not completely. He had understood it. And Ahmanet really couldn't tell what on Earth she had done to deserve it.

Nick kissed her back, but then he pulled back and said "Now, I think I can knocked out some of them, could you please do the same with the others? Without killing them?"

Ahmanet took a deep breath, but answered "I'll do my best. What then?"

"We'll escape from here, and find another place where reflect on our next move." He caught her annoyed gaze and added "Me too I'm tired to flee, you know. But we have to plan something if we want to survive, and they didn't leave us the time to do it here."

She nodded and said "Fine. Give me a weapon, they are almost here."

Nick lifted an eyebrow and asked "A weapon?"

Ahmanet rolled her eyes "Yes, a weapon. I can fight, you know. My father wanted me to learn how to defend myself. He and my previous Chosen taught me well."

Nick felt a sudden and little stitch of jealousy at the thought of the time Ahmanet had spent with that man. It surprised him. But in that moment he hadn't the time of thinking about that, so he said "I don't have weapons, however there isn't enough space to fight side by side comfortably. And..." He was interrupted by the noise of a dozen of soldiers who broke through the door. The first one pointed his weapon to Ahmanet, and Nick charged him without a second thought. They both fell on the floor, taking other soldiers with them. The others entered the room to take Ahmanet. But she was waiting for them. The princess clapped her hands hard in front of her, and a cloud of thousand of insects gave off her beat. They went straight to the soldiers and entered their noses and ears, giving Ahmanet the controll of their minds. Without a loud word, she ordered them to help her Chosen. He really didn't need any help, anyway. She observed him hit hard their enemies, moved from one to the others and slipped between them with skill. He wasn't as fluid as her previous Chosen was, he seemed more a storm, less graceful, but still dangerous and beautiful. As he said, he knocked out all the remaining soldiers, with barely some punches in return. Then he straightened himself and turned to her. His face darkened when he saw her new servants.

"What have you done to them?" Her Chosen asked, his tone a little too sharp to her tastes.

"I have taken them to our side. Don't worry, they are still alive, as you asked."

"Still alive, you said? They aren't themselves anymore!" He almost shouted.

Ahmanet frowned, surprised by his attitude "I have subjugate them with my power, but they are still there, if this is for what that you are worrying about."

Nick took a very deep breath to calm himself. He had already seen this happened before, but at his best friend, Chris Vail. Nick had had to kill him, because he hadn't understood what was happening to him. Chris seemed to be going to kill each one of them. Nick too. Chris didn't recognize them anymore. And that had been Ahmanet's fault. He knew she didn't know an other way to act or escape, but still. And now she had done the same thing to those soldiers, and who knew, maybe they would have done the same end as Chris. Killed by their best friends, their brothers in the army. He hold back the tears and shook his head. He couldn't think of that now. They had to hurry.

"We will talk about this later, let's move now."


	6. Chapter 6

They exited the hotel and took the vehicle that the soldiers used to reach them.

Nick drove it out of London, towards the church where he first met Ahmanet. It was the only place that came to his mind.

They arrived there, and Nick asked the princess to order her servants to hide it, and so she did.

The two partners almost didn't talk at all, in a situation that neither of them liked.

Ahmanet didn't understand why her Chosen was angry and why he was acting like that with her, specially after the sweet things he had told her. And his promise. She just couldn't understand him, but she wanted to. And she would have talked to him as soon as they could stop for a moment and catch their breathe.

Nick felt a block of anger growing in his chest. He couldn't believe that Ahmanet had subjucated those men in that way, as she did with his best friend.

Nick remembered very well that moment. Chris didn't act like himself at all. It seemed his personality, his soul, himself weren't there anymore. Ahmanet had transformed him into a dark, mindless puppet at her orders. And Chris had forced Nick to kill him, or he would have killed all of them, as he did with their superior.

Nick knew neither of them had had a choice, but he also knew that he could have never forgiven himself for that.

Ahmanet hadn't had a choice too, she didn't know another way, and he didn't blame her for that, but seeing her doing that again had been too much. He wanted to stay alone for a while, to not ruin anything he had with Ahmanet. He needed time.

They entered the church and sat on the benches.

Nick laid his head against the backrest and closed his eyes with a sigh. He just wanted to not think, but in that precise moment Ahmanet talked.

"What is it, my Chosen? Why are you so distraught?" asked the princess.

Nick opened her eyes and met her concerned gaze. Suddendly it was difficult to be angry at her. He diverted his look and answered "Those men, what have you done to them?"

"I've made them to become our servants, so I didn't have to kill them, as you asked." She repeated.

Nick tightened his jaw with a sharp noise, and she winced, surprised.

"Maybe it would have been better for them to die." He retyped.

"I don't understand you." She was really confused now. "Even if I couldn't see the reason, I didn't kill those insects, though I wanted to. And I didn't just because you asked me, my Chosen, and now you are saying that it would have been better if I did?"

Nick didn't answer, and his gaze remained far from her.

Ahmanet sighed and said "Well, if I had to kill them to make you look at me again, I'll do it, MY CHOSEN" she emphasized on the last two words and stood, a bit angry now.

Nick stood too, quickly, and grabbed her arm "Wait! What are you doing?"

"What you asked me." Her face darkened, and her jaw tighetened too.

"Would you really do that?" Nick asked, disbelieving.

Ahmanet looked straight in his eyes as she answered "Those men are nothing for me. If killing them will make you pleased, then I'll do that."

She seemed sincere. Nick took a deep breath and said "Ahmanet, I don't want you to kill anyone else. I just don't like how they are now." He explained.

"Why?" She turned completely to him.

This time it was Nick's turn to blink twice "Haven't you seen them? They look like monsters! They look like..."

"Me" said Ahmanet, interrupting him. Her voice was sharp, and her eyes shone, defiant and hurted.

Understanding his mistake, Nick shook his head and said "No. You don't look like a monster. Not to me. You do at the others' eyes because of your actions. But they don't know you as I do." He lifted an hand and slowly caressed her cheek, sighing.

Ahmanet still looked hurted by his words. He didn't want it, because he wasn't talking about her before.

"I'm sorry" he said, and he was, he really was. "I didn't want to hurt you. And I don't care of what the others think of you. I know you, and I'll always be by your side. You know that." He leaned forward and laid his forehead against her's.

Ahmanet smiled slightly and closed her eyes, enjoying the moment.

The deep feeling that she felt for her Chosen flared up in her veins, her chest, her whole body. It was always there, but in that moment of deep communion it became, if possible, stronger.

The princess knew it wasn't just the feeling of their bond. Well, yes, the most part of it was constituted by their supernatural connection. But there was also something new.

Ahmanet could feel a little but deep new emotion rising in her heart. Something that wasn't caused by Seth's dark power. No. It was something more pure, something originated by all the small, gentle things her Chosen did to her.

The way he smiled at her, and only at her.

The way he worried about her. She smiled wider at the memory of the dates.

The way he caressed her cheeks and hairs, as if he wanted to reassure her, to confirm that he was there with her. That he would have protected her. Loved her.

Her smile frozed on her face, and she stopped breathing for a moment.

So that was it? The strange but deep feeling that was slowly growing in her? Was it love?

Ahmanet didn't know.

She didn't know what love was. Not the kind she could feel for a man that wasn't her father. She had only felt it for him, her only family. But her father had betrayed her, and her love had been consumed by her rage and her desire of revenge.

She hadn't felt love for her previous Chosen. He was just a mean to reach an aim. Yes, she had hoped that with the completion of the ritual, he would had loved her, unconditionally. She would never know if she had been right. But she wanted to know, for the man before her.

This Chosen, who was still holding his forehead against her's, was totally different. This man truly cared about her.

She realized he made her hope in something.

In a good end of that story. Their story. An end that could see both of them safe and happy. Togethere. She HOPED that because she was scared. She didn't know if he would have stayed at her side. She didn't know if he felt like her. She didn't know if he would have survived. She didn't know if the ritual would have changed him or not. And, most of all, she didn't know if she wanted to take that risk.

No. Ahmanet had made a path with Seth, yes, but she didn't want to lose that man. And not because she was selfish, but because she cared about him too. And she didn't want to make HIM pay the consequences of HER choice.

This, with the new feeling she felt for her Chosen that was the cause of her doubts, scared her. A lot.

Ahmanet swallowed, an intense sense of panick had invaded her.

In that precise moment, her Chosen lifted slightly his face and kissed her forehead. That simple act made Ahmanet's doubts and fears to disappear, and a sense of peace invaded the princess.

Ahmanet didn't know how he did it, but she smiled: whatever she would have face up to, she wouldn't have been alone. Her Chosen would have always been by her side. She believed him in this.

The man sighed and pulled away unwillingly. His face remained close to her's, and he waited her to open her eyes and reciprocate his gaze before whispering "I don't like this situation. I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you."

"It's alright now. We are still togethere." Ahmanet smiled in seeing her Chosen nodded to her words. The moment before he had felt that sense of communion with her too.

"But I wish to know why you were so angry, my Chosen" added Ahmanet; she wanted to understand him.

Her Chosen nodded and answered "You have all the right to know." He took a deep breath before continuing "I told you that those men look like monsters, but I didn't want to compare them with you." He took another deep breath and sat down, lowering his gaze to the floor. "I was thinking about Chris. Chris Vail."

Ahmanet sat next to him with a fluid motion. She had an apology look when she said "I don't know who that is."

Nick looked back to her, with disbelief in his eyes. But then he remembered that she was still in her sarcophagus when he fired at Chris. So he said "He is the first man you have subjucated with your power. A spider bit him in the place where we found you."

Nick saw a flash of awareness to illuminate Ahmanet's eyes, and continued to talk "Naturally, we didn'tn know anything at that time. He was acting like a normal person who has been bitten by a spider. But then, on the airplane, he started to cut the ropes that held your sarcophagus. Our commander asked him to stop, and tried to make him to when Chris didn't listen to him. But he killed him, and then he turned to us and came closer with that knife in his hand. He didn't recognize anyone of us. And I had to kill him, or he would have done the same to all of us."

Nick lowered his head, he could still feel the pain of his action.

Ahmanet misinterpreted the cause of his pain, because she put an hand on his shoulder and whispered "He wouldn't have harmed you. Maybe he didn't recognize you, but he perceived the bond between us. And he knew he must not hurt you."

Nick looked right in front of him as he retyped "But he would have killed my friends, and I couldn't allow that." He took another deep breath and turned to her. "He didn't seem himself anymore. He seemed a dark, empty puppet. Just like those soldiers. That's why I said that maybe it would have been better for them to be dead. Maybe death is better than this." He made an hand gesture toward the soldiers, who were coming back to them.

Ahmanet turned to them, and stopped their advance with just a look. She supposed that their presence upset Nick, so she mentally ordered them to get out of the church and stay of guard. Her servants turned and went out without a word.

Then the princess turned to him and looked at him for a long moment in silence before talking "You know, I can free them. I can make them to come back as they were. I can give them back their free will in any moment."

The man wided his eyes and she smiled "They are not dead body that move because I order it, my Chosen. They are still alive, but under my controll." She took a deep breath and added "And if you truly want it, my Chosen, I will free them, when this story will be ended. But not now, they are very useful to us."

Ahmanet couldn't believe in what she had just promised. The princess was fought, divided inside.

She could feel the evil part of her, the one impregnated by Seth's power, to seethe in anger at that promise. That part of her wanted death, destruction, pain and suffering. That part of her wanted to feed with the worst things. That part of her had controlled Ahmanet since she had made the path with Seth, and guided her in the dark pathway she had taken.

But now, an other part was slowly rising inside her. A part that had been buried, almost cancelled and forgotten when she had made that path. Her human part. It concerned the woman she had been before her father's betrayal, and the woman that, thanks to her Chosen, she was coming back to be. And that woman was the one that agreed with her Chosen. The one that was tired of pain and death.

Ahmanet knew a decision had to be taken. She was lacerated inside, she couldn't continue in that way.

Her Chosen's voice stopped her thoughts "You can...? And you could have done the same with Chris?"

Before Ahmanet could answer him, he diverted his gaze and snorted, holding back a bitter laugh, and said "So I didn't have to kill him. I could have knocked him out, and now you could have liberated him. And he would have been still alive." He tightened his jaw and took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

When he finally opened them and turned to her, Ahmanet saw all his huge pain and suffering to shine through his beautiful, broken blue eyes. "He was my best friend Ahmanet, can you understand it? He was like a brother to me. And I killed him." He closed his eyes again, and one, single tear went down his face.

That was too much for Ahmanet. She couldn't see her Chosen like that, so vulnerable, so suffering, so devastated by his own action. Also because she knew it was in part her fault. She had made his friend to act like that. She didn't know anything at the time, but still. Now, she didn't want to see her Chosen like this.

The princess came closer to him and gently made his head to lay against her shoulder. She caressed his nape with an hand and used the other arm to tighten him to her. "I'm sorry" she whispered softly, and she was sincere.

Ahmanet felt her Chosen breath out slowly, shivering a bit. She wanted to comfort him, so she rubbed sweetly her cheek against his head, and smiled when she felt her Chosen to relax in her hug. She turned her face for a moment, and kiss him on the cheek.

And there it was. That strange but powerful new feeling was invading her again. It made her feel at home with her Chosen. And Ahmanet liked it, so much.

Both of them desired to stay like this forever, but they couldn't.

Her Chosen pulled away and looked at her straight in the eyes when he said "Thank you." He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek, as he added "I can't remedy to what I have done, I can't took him back, but I feel a little better now, and this is because of you."

He leaned forward to kiss her, and Ahmanet didn't want anything more in that moment, but she pulled back. His words had made her to realize a thing. She wided her eyes, ignoring his confused look, and said "No, YOU can't take him back." a pause, in which she smiled "But I can."

Her Chosen wided his eyes too, and asked "Are you sure?"

He didn't want to illude himself, it was clear. But Ahmanet would have never given him a false hope.

The princess nodded and said, pleased "My power is over life and death, my Chosen. I can make him to live again, and I will."

The joy and the deep feeling that Ahmanet saw in her Chosen's eyes seemed to be the best thing she had ever seen. And knowing that SHE was the cause of them made her heart beat to quicken with happiness. She would had never said that she would have felt it again.

The princess smiled, and her Chosen leaned in again, took her face with his hands and kissed her slowly and deeply. He couldn't have found a better way to thank her.

When Ahmanet finally pulled back, she smiled to him and said "Let's take your friend back to life now. I think the stone can wait."


	7. Chapter 7

"First of all, we need to find his body." Ahmanet said, looking around and forcing her gaze through the walls of the church. She didn't see the corp nearby, and this made her to frown.

"What is it?" Her Chosen asked, taking her hands, worried about her expression.

"I don't see it here, or in the space just outside the church." The princess explained, looking at him.

Nick wided his eyes "You can see what there is outside the church? From here?"

Ahmanet just sighed, rolling all her four eyes, in a very strange and funny vision, and answered "Yes, I can. When will you understand, my Chosen, who I am and what my power is?"

She couldn't believe that he could still be surprised of what she could do. She held back a little, incredulous laugh, shaking her head in disbelief and amusement. But then she stopped and looked at him right in the eyes. She had just got something. The fact that her Chosen kept looked astonished and amazed about her power simply proved that he truly considered her as a person, as a human, as Ahmanet, not as a monster or as the incarnation of Evil, like everyone else seemed to see her.

Ahmanet smiled at that thought, because she knew it was the truth.

"It isn't important right now, by the way." She came closer to her Chosen, with a little, apologetic smile on her mouth "We have to find your friend's body. Without it, I won't be able to take him back."

Nick's mood darkened, a worried frown appeared on his face, so the princess added "It doesn't have to be in perfect conditions, don't worry."

"How can't I be worried?" Nick asked "I stabbed him three times. Three times, Ahmanet. And I left him on a plane that was precipitating! Only God knows where Chris' body is."

Her Chosen took his face between his hands, his beautiful blue eyes shone of pain and desperation.

Ahmanet put an hand on his nape, stroking his hair gently and searching his eyes with hers "The situation isn't desperate as you believe, my Chosen" she started, with a reassuring tone "We are not alone, we have those soldiers, who will help us, and my power."

She diverted her gaze and thought for a moment "Maybe I can also make them to trace the leavings of the power I used on your friend. In this way, they'll find him for sure and faster."

Nick seemed convinced by her words, because he took his hands away from his face and breathed deeply to calm down. "Yeah, right. It looks like a good plane to me."

Ahmanet smiled and said "See? You don't need any god, my Chosen, you have me."

Nick smiled too for a moment, but then he became quite serious and used an apologetic tone when he talked "I'm sorry for doubting of you, Ahmanet. I really am. I should have know that you knew what you were saying to me and that you would have never given me false hopes."

Then his gaze became playful as he said "Forgive this insignificant human." A little smile appeared on his face.

Ahmanet smiled too, surprised by his change of mood, and for her own carefree, little laughter.

The princess lifted an eyebrow and said "Maybe I'll forgive you, little human. Or maybe not. If I were you, I'd do something to MAKE me forgive you." Her voice lowered, and her smile became far more seductive than before.

"Here, in a church, my queen? Do you really believe me such an impure man?" Nick answered, with a wide smile on his mouth and the impurest gaze in his eyes.

"So you prefer your creed to me? You have to be the most religious of the men." She lifted her right hand, running her index nail on his toned arm from the wrist to the shoulder, following her full movement with her eyes.

Her Chosen chuckled and answered "Oh, you have no idea." His gaze became very intense, and his smile wided.

A moment before he kissed her, Ahmanet mentally ordered the soldiers to go searching Chris' body, tracing the leavings of the power she used on him. She gave that command to four of them, while the other two had to stay of guard out of the church. She manteined her mental contact with them just for the brief time that she needed to verify their obedience.

It really was a period that lasted a moment. Because the following one her Chosen kissed her with such a passion and onrush that she lost all her concentration and they almost fall. Ahmanet had to thank her inhuman strenght if they succedeed in staying on their feet.

His heat surprised the princess, and she didn't reply immediately at the sensual kiss her Chosen started. Before she could reciprocated it, though, he moved his mouth on her neck, and his tongue began its magical work, leaving Ahmanet breathless.

Then her Chosen tightened her body against his, and bit her neck in the same time. Ahmanet moaned and felt a sudden adrenaline rush through her whole body, while her heart started to hammer against her chest, as if it wanted to get out of his place.

She put her hands on her Chosen's body too, impatient of a deeper contact, but before she could also only think about finally being an unique thing with her love, he smiled and, not effortlessy, pulled his mouth away from her neck.

"But, even if I want it with all myself, this isn't the right place where, well, love each others." He probably noticed her disappointment, because he added, gently stroking her cheek "And I want our first time to be perfect."

Ahmanet smiled at his tenderness and nodded, giving him a last, slow, intense kiss, before separated herself from him. It had to be enough for now, and it allowed her to placate the hunger and the burning desire that were devouring her whole body.

"Furthermore, we have something to do. My servants are searching your friend's body already. Do you want to join them?" The princess asked, she was sure about his answer though.

"Yes. Yes please." Indeed. Ahmanet had the impression that her Chosen wanted to do everything he could to obtain the forgiveness. The forgiveness of his friend, yes, but mostly the forgiveness of himself. Ahmanet couldn't blame him, she had seen how much pain his action was still causing at him. He truly cared about his friend, as he truly cared about her. She had had an ulterior proof of it because even if he knew that he had to kill his friend for Ahmanet's fault, he still decided to help her. And he still did when she did to those soldiers the same thing she had done to Chris. Taking him back to life was the minimum Ahmanet could do for him.

A little voice inside her retyped that she would have done the same for him even if that situation hadn't been all her fault.

Ahmanet ignored that voice and turned to the exit of the church, ready to leave, when her Chosen took her hand. She looked at him, surprised, and he just smiled and started to walk at her side towards the exit.

Ahmanet smiled mindlessy, squeezing her Chosen's hand, while the little voice inside her was being overjoyed.

They went out of the church and walked towards the direction the plane took while it was precipitating.

Ahmanet leaded the way, because she was the one who could perceive and follow her servants from there.

They passed the soldiers of guard, who immediately followed them from behind, quiet but in alert.

Ahmanet didn't let go her Chosen's hand. She thought it was just in the place where it had meant to be. And, most of all, having it in hers made her happy, genuinely and simply happy. A state of humour she was feeling always more often than before, even more often than when she lived in Egypt.

Choosing that man had surely been her best decision, ever. And being chosen by him in return had been the best thing that could have happened to her. It hadn't been something sure, because she still hadn't done the ritual to change him when he chose to help her. She knew he could have decided differently in all this time. He could have fought against her, as he did the first time they met at the church. He could have harmed her. He could have chosen the other woman.

Ahmanet gritted her teeth: it was irrational, but the last supposition hurted her so much more than the other two. The thought that HER Chosen could have caressed, kissed or loved that woman made her to feel the burning bit of jealousy. It wasn't exactly pleasant.

Those thoughts distracted her, and Ahmanet almost lost her trace, while her dark power started to seethe in a particularly fierce way. It felt her violent emotions, increased them and wanted to let them out in the most destructive way possible. It was such a desperate need that Ahmanet found very hard to even mantein a normal countenance.

She was trying to calm down, to placate her power and to concentrate again on her task, when her Chosen saved the situation with a very simple act.

He squeezed her hand.

This drawn her attention, so Ahmanet lifted her gaze to meet his, and he asked, worried "Are you okay?"

She hadn't slowed down or said anything, so she just stared at him, and her Chosen shrugged and said "You tensed, sligthly, but you did."

His act and his worried turned off the flames of her rage and jealousy. He had chosen her. Ahmanet, not that woman, that Jenny. He was HER Chosen and only HERS.

The princess smiled "Yes, I'm fine." And she squeezed his hand in return, grateful.

Finally, they arrived to the biggest part of the plane that had survived to the crash. The soldiers were waiting for them side by side. On the ground in front of them there was a body. Nick winced, and Ahmanet squeezed his hand and stopped before him.

"I can do this alone. If seeing him like this takes too suffering to you, maybe it's better for you to wait here." Her eyes softened and she spoke with a low tone, to make him understand that it was ok to feel like that, and that she was still with him.

Nick's eyes went from the princess to Chris' body and back again twice. He was touched by her words, her tenderness, her worry. But Nick had to stay with her, with him when Ahmanet would have taken him back. He had to be by Chris' side in that moment. And he would have stood right there, for him.

"No. I have to do this." He answered with the same low tone, but the determination shone through it.

Ahmanet took an other moment to see if he was totally sure of his decision, and then she turned and they walked together till Chris' body.

At that point, even if she didn't want to, Ahmanet let go her Chosen's hand and went closer to the body, while her Chosen stood two feet behind her.

She kneeled near the body and mentally ordered her servants to went away and stay of guard near the road, but far from them. It was the best decision, and she took it mostly for the two men. The princess was their best protection, after all, they didn't really need those soldiers, who, on the contrary, made them upset, and for sure. She could handle almost every situation, and her Chosen was a warrior as well. They didn't need them nearby in that moment.

Ahmanet took a deep breath and evoked her power, whispering words in ancient Egyptian.

Those words weren't dark, they talked about energy, healing, life. She murmured them while passing an hand in the air above the body. She could feel her energy healing Chris' injuries, were them wounds or broken bones. She had never used her power of life before. Not in this way. It was a good sensation. Very good. She felt well.

When she had healed all the injuries, she made a little break. And then, she evoked her power of death, still whispering in ancient Egyptian, but this time the words were dark. They talked about death, the Duat, and, finally, rebirth. They were dark words because even if they are used to take back to life a good person, for a good reason, making someone to live again is something against the most ancient world's laws. You have to subdue the death to do it. And no good, natural force can do that.

Ahmanet stood while she is guiding, through her words, Chris' soul back to his body, to this world. She stood and invited her Chosen to come closer with her hand without stopping the ritual.

Nick didn't make the princess to repeat herself. He had watched, quiet, while she had healed all the injuries on his best friend's body. Under his astonished gaze, Chris' aspect had started to become better, and better, and better, while Ahmanet proceded her work. Ahmanet. Nick couldn't find the words to express his gratitude. He didn't want to disturb her in that moment, but he would have thanked her in the best way later.

Finally, after a few moments, he heard the princess' language to change. It went darker. He got some words, understanding them thank to her bond with Ahmanet, and even if some of them were normal words, suddendly he felt very uncomfortable. He had goosebumps, like if the temperature had suddendly lowered. He understood that what Ahmanet was doing wasn't natural at all. He felt it in his bones, and found himself thinking that probably it hadn't been such a good idea. For a moment, he also desired to tell the princess to stop herself and go away from there.

Of course, a moment later he regretted his desire. He almost punched himself for his thoughts. Ahmanet was taking his best friend back to life, of course that wasn't a normal or natural thing. And she was doing it for him, and only for him. Because she cared about him, as he did about her. And he cared about his best friend too. He really wanted to remedy to his mistake, but for this that unnatural, disquieting ritual had to be completed. He could have beared the strange and displeasing sensations it was giving him if he could have Chris back.

Nick came closer to the body when Ahmanet invited him to, while the princess drawn back slightly and, finally, became silent.

Suddendly, Chris throw his eyes open and took a very deep breath. He looked around, a little bit troubled, and saw Nick.

Morton could happily ascertain that both his friend's eyes were absolutely normal, and deep brown as he remembered them. His whole body seemed as it had always been, too.

Chris stood up and his eyes went from Nick to Ahmanet twice.

The princess waited in silence, evaluating the situation, ready to intervene if something went wrong. Well, she knew what she had done, and she knew to have done it perfectly, so she wasn't worried about it. What she didn't know was how her Chosen's friend would have reacted to the situation. So she was calm, but ready. Furthermore, she knew that now it was a thing between her Chosen and his friend, and she should have left it to them.

Chris started to breath very quickly, and said "You." looking at Nick.

Her Chosen moved one step towards him, lifted an hand as to calm him down and said "Chris, God, I'm so sor-"

Chris hit him in the face with a violent punch, so violent that Nick, surprised, fell on the ground.

Ahmanet felt a fierce rage to invade her veins, and reacted by evoking his power, which answered immediately at her need to protect her Chosen, to protect her love. She was going to throw it against the human, to the Hell what she had thought before, she had already moved some threatening steps towards him, ready to hit him with all her fury, but before she could do anything, her Chosen stopped her with an arm tensed in front of her. Ahmanet stopped and looked at him, but he didn't reciprocate her gaze. He had his eyes pointed on his friend and didn't move them from him. This made Ahmanet to frown, but she didn't push it, and pointed her gaze on the other human as well. She took her power under controll, but didn't send it deep in herself. Instead, she kept it on the surface, ready to use it if she needed to.

Nick looked at his friend for a long moment before talking, with a little smile on his face "Well, I deserved it, I concede it to you."

"You can say it, Nick! You can really say it!" Chris almost shouted, but he seemed more himself then before, from Nick's point of view.

"You are right, Chris. I'm so sorry, I have never wanted that something like this happened to us. To you. I know it's all my fault. And I'm sorry for everything that happened, from the beginning of this situation. I should have never forced you to come with me at that village. Well, I don't regret going there" He turned to Ahmanet for a moment, looking at her with a great and sweet emotion in him. If he had never gone to that village, he would have never found her. And he couldn't regret this. Then he turned to Chris again "but I'm sorry for having involved you." Nick made a pause, thinking on his next words with attention. "You know me, Chris, and you know that you are a like brother to me. I couldn't accept what I had done to you, and I still can't. I don't want to cause any other trouble to you, so I won't ask you to come with me this time. But I ask you one more thing: your forgiveness. I know that having taken you back to life doesn't cancel what I have done. But if you forgive me, maybe one day I'll be able to start forgiving myself too. I'll understand if you don't want to forgive me, if it's too much for you, though." Nick hushed. He felt emptied, he had said everything to him. Now the ball passed to Chris.

His friend looked at him for a long moment in silence, with a serious expression Nick had rarely seen on his face. Finally, he took a deep breath and said "Wow, Nick. They were a lot of deep words. What happened to you?"

Nick couldn't help but smiled, and answered "I've met someone. Someone who makes me think at what count the most to me. And you are included in the packet, buddy." He said the truth. After Ahmanet, the one he cared the most was Chris, his best friend, his brother in the army and out of it.

Chris nodded, and his gaze went again from him to Ahmanet and back. Then he said "You have to adjourn me about a lot of things." He made a pause, and Nick didn't break it. After a moment, Chris talked again "Well, buddy, it's strange for us talking this serious, isn't it?" Nick nodded and he continued "But I had to say that yes, you are right, this is, even if not totally, your fault. And this only proves that you should listen to me and to my advices more often. And I truly mean, MORE often." He shook his head "I can understand why you have acted like that. But you took me back, maybe with some help" Chris looked at Ahmanet, then back at him again "but you did. I'm here now. God, I'm here now!" He repeated, almost shouting, and this made the two men to smile, they just couldn't help it.

"I know I don't have to thank only you for this, but I'll start with you." Chris moved one step towards him, wided his arms, and said "You can start forgiving yourself, brother, because I've already done it."

Nick smiled and, with his heart full of joy, a joy, he knew, his best friend was sharing, he hugged him tightly.

Ahmanet relaxed, placating her power and releasing all her tension. She also smiled at the view of the hug and the mighty, friendly slaps the two men were giving each others. She shook his head in disbelief as well. Men. A moment before they punch each others, and the following one they hug each others.

The princess shook her head once more, happy for her Chosen. Till now, all was going well.

Jenny was frustrated.

The squad sent to recover Nick still hasn't returned, and it was almost night. No one told her what was happening.

Tired of that situation, she decided to act, and moved towards Henry's office.

The boss of the Prodigium was at his desk, and he was checking his laptop with a worried expression.

"Jenny" he said, without moving his eyes from the screen.

"Henry. What's happening? Why the squad still hasn't returned?"

"We had a problem." Henry answered, his countenance was calm, but it seemed the calm before the storm.

Jenny swallowed and asked "What kind of problem?" She feared the answer.

Henry looked at her, pondering what to say and what to omit. Jenny didn't like this. She had said everything to that organisation, to that man, everything about her life's work. That man, instead, hadn't always been totally sincere and honest with her.

He had said nothing about torturing and vivisecting a certain undead princess.

He had said nothing about not gathering historical informations from her.

He had said nothing about killing someone.

Well, probably that man was acting like this for the good and the safety of the world, but Henry didn't hold the absolute truth. He was a man, and as a man he could have made mistakes. But the problem was that no one could have stopped him in that case.

No one but a certain mummy, at least.

Jenny shook her head at that thought. Henry probably wasn't the perfect man, but Ahmanet was the incarnation of Evil. And this incarnation of Evil seemed to want her dead. The mummy has already promised her that. And Jenny didn't want to sound out her word.

She absolutely wanted to know the truth though. But she couldn't trust anyone of them. Jenny sighed, even more frustrated than before. Then she froze. Maybe she could trust someone. Someone who was at the very center of that story. But that man has betrayed her twice, he was a thief and a liar, how could she trust him now?

"Our squad doesn't answer to our calls. We don't know why." Henry said, interrupting her thoughts.

Jenny winced slightly, but the man didn't notice it, or maybe he did, but thought that it was a reaction for what he had just said. The man sighed and Jenny understood he had told her the truth, the whole truth.

"So what are you going to do, now?" She had the impression that she had done her spontaneous question not only at the boss of Prodigium, but also at herself.

"We are trying to trace our soldiers, but the devices don't work as they should. Maybe they are somewhere in which there are some strange interferences. Very strange, because we don't have the foggiest idea about where they could be. I don't know what to think honestly...they could be dead, or worse, and we can't help them!" Henry tightened his fists, angry and frustrated.

Jenny didn't know what to say, but that new unlocked something inside her.

It was all her fault. She had discovered Ahmanet's tomb, she hadn't considered the warnings on the wall of it as she should have done, she had helped Nick to make the mummy to escape. And now, she had to remedy at her mistake. Too many lifes depended on it. The world depended on it. And that was her life's work. No one else could fix it.

The decision had been taken.

She was scared of what she wanted to do, but she was determinated as well. She was also tired of being exploited or inactive. From now, she would have done something by herself. And she started immediately.

"I'm sure you'll find a solution, Henry. But I recommend you to sleep a little as well. Maybe the squad still hasn't found Nick and Ahmanet." Jenny herself didn't believe at all at what she had just said.

"Or maybe not. I don't want to take risks, Jenny. And I won't sleep till we'll find them." Henry seemed very tired, in spite of his words, but the determination shone through his eyes.

"As you want, but remember that you won't be able to help them if you are too tired." Jenny retyped, sure of her victory.

Henry seemed to think for a moment, and then he answered "Maybe you are alright." Indeed.

"Have a good sleep then. I'm going to take some rest too. There is no work for me now. Call me if there are news." Jenny said, sure that that night she wouldn't have taken the rest she wished.

"Good idea. Yes, I'll do it, but please, meanwhile take all the time you need. You have done a great work today, and it has been a very, very long and intense day. So, if you want it, stay at home till you wish. I'll call you if we need you." Henry smiled at her, kind.

"I'll do, thank you Henry." She reciprocated the smile and dismissed herself.

Perfect. In this way she could act undisturbed. And she already knew what to do.

Maybe the interferences were due to mysterious causes, or maybe not.

Nick and Ahmanet could be anywhere, as Prodigium's squad, or maybe they could have gone in the most predictable place, which, for this reason, was perfect. Because no one would have thought of going to search them there. And this place, Jenny remembered it well, had not signal.


	8. Chapter 8

"So, what are we going to do now?" Chris asked, after letting his best friend go from the hug.

"This is a legitimate question." Nick moved an hand on his nape, uncertain, and added "This is a very complicated situation."

"Noted." Chris chuckled, while shooking his head. Saying that was an understatement, the biggest of the understatements.

"I think I should explain you everything, but you won't come with me Chris, not this time. Not after what happened." Nick didn't want to put his best friend in danger again. Also because he couldn't say what was the best thing to do, neither the right one. He just couldn't see at that whole situation clearly, he was too involved. How can he figured out a solution then?

"Wait a minute." Chris came a step closer to him and added "You want to keep me out of this? To face all of this alone?" His dark eyes were pointed right on him's "You don't even think about it."

Nick shooked his head and added "This is all my fault Chris! And I have to solve it! I can't take you with me! I don't even know what to do!"

"Then we'll figure it out! Together!" They were both shouting, both wanted to win this battle.

"I won't let you deal with this mess alone." Chris added, after taking a deep breath to calm down.

"I won't be alone, Chris." Nick turned slightly to Ahmanet, and smiled at her. The princess reciprocated and took a step closer to her Chosen, taking his hand.

Chris chuckled bitterly, and that sound made the other two to turn to him, puzzled.

"No offense mate, but she is the biggest part of the mess."

He shouldn't have said that.

At those words, Nick's whole body tensed and he took many steps towards his best friend, till catching him by his collar.

"Don't talk about her like this Chris! Don't do that ever again! You don't know her, you don't know what she has suffered, you don't know anything!" He got mad every time people talk about things they don't know at all. But in this case, this concerned Ahmanet, so he didn't just got mad. He got furious. Nick wasn't shouting, he was talking in a very low tone, and he kept that lethal hiss when he added "Don't say things like that about Ahmanet ever again if you don't know her or her story. Did you understand?"

"Woah, buddy, calm down. I got it. I'm sorry. I really am." Chris lifted his hands in surrender.

Nick took a deep breath and let him go, and his friend added "Actually, I should also thank her. For resurrecting me, I mean."

"Yeah that seems a good idea to me." Nick said in a sarcastic tone, before moving laterally.

Chris sighed. His long tongue seemed to keep causing him trouble. Then he took some steps towards the princess, but stopped at a certain distance from her. He opened his mouth to speak, but then he scowled and turned to Nick "Can she understand me?"

His friend blinked twice, confused. Because of the curse, he only spoke with her in Ancient Egyptian, so he didn't know if she can understand English. He didn't think though. He opened his mouth to answer his friend, but before he could, Ahmanet preceeded him.

"Yes, I can." The princess has spoken in English, with the surprise of both the men.

"But how? And since when?" Nick asked, still surprised.

Ahmanet smiled and answered "Since when I thought I had to learn your language. Even if I like it, I can't continue to depend on you, my Chosen. I have to understand what happenes around me, and I can't if I don't know the spoken language."

"Yeah, I get it, but how and when have you learned?" Nick asked, curious.

"By our bond, my Chosen. The curse makes you to understand me when I spoke in my language, and in the same way it makes me to understand you when you talk to me in yours. Furthermore, if I want, which I do, it can make me to learn your language. And so I did." Ahmanet's face opened in a smile again, as she added "You didn't get it, but we have talked to each others in English since we have come back to the church."

Nick blinked twice and blushed slightly, embarrassed for not having noted that before. Well, he couldn't be blamed, in that moment he had other things in mind. "You are right. I should have noted it, but you spoke so fluently it didn't seem you have just learned." He observed.

"Yes, that is one of the advantages of my power, and one of the smallest. It made me to store the knowledge of the language with me almost unaware. Now speaking English is natural to me, as if I've ever spoken it." Ahmanet smiled, a pleased smile, that soon became a mocking one as she added "It hasn't been such an affair because of my power, but it wouldn't be anyway. Your language is simple."

Nick chuckled, incredulous for that absurd situation, and said "Well, yours isn't simple at all. I prefer mine."

"And despite that, you have already learned it as well, Setepai".

Nick blinked, surprised and shooked his head in disbelief "Ok, I'm done with all these supernatural things for today." He lifted his hands and, after exchanging looks with the other two to make sure they were okay, he left them alone to talk.

Chris, who shared his best friend's state of mind, wasn't so happy of being alone with the princess, the main cause of all his worst troubles. He hated Nick for a moment, but he could understand his need of taking his mind away from all those absurdities for a while. He would have preferred if Nick had chosen an other moment to do it, though. Chris was incredibly nervous.

Ahmanet, by her part, didn't understad why her Chosen has dismissed himself so brutally. She thought it would have been better to tell him everything. She had thought he was fine, they were also starting to tease each others. She was having a good time with him, but then he just left. She hoped he was okay.

All her doubts disappeared when her Chosen's friend said "Don't worry, he is fine. He just need time to elaborate and accept what you have just told him."

The princess turned to him, surprised, and bowled when he added "I'd like some time to clear up my mind too. But that is not a priority."

Chris smiled uncertainly to her and continued "I'm sorry for what I said before. I shouldn't have done that, because you resurrected me and also because I don't know almost anything of your story, as Nick said. Sometimes I speak without thinking. Well, most of the times, I have to admit that. Anyway, I'm sorry. I really am."

Ahmanet looked at him for a long moment. When he told that thing about her to her Chosen, she has been overwhelmed by emotions.

The most intense was rage. Rage because that little mortal dared to talk about her like that, and in her presence, almost challenging her. And rage because, as her Chosen said later, that human knew nothing about her. Nothing. And he had no right to judge her. Furthermore, she had taken him back from death, and that was his way to thank her? She has almost released her power to...to...vaporise him? Incinerate him? Make the locusts to eat him alive? She didn't know, but she was sure her power would have provided to end him in the most destructive, painful and satisfied way possible, as she wished to do in that moment. And it hadn't been easy to take herself back from pulverize that stupid mortal.

The secons emotion was fear. Fear because deep down she knew he was right. She knew to be the cause of all that situation, including what happened to her Chosen's best friend. And because of this, she feared that human's words could make her Chosen to change his mind and abandon her. After all, they had had a quarrel about that. This had made her instinct to kill that man in that very moment even stronger. Because she was really afraid of losing her Chosen now. Yes, with her power she could have taken him and held him with her easely, but she didn't want it. Not after having seen how was to have him willingly by her side. There were no words to describe the wonderful sense of communion she felt with him.

So, if she hadn't killed that man, it was all because her Chosen reacted first. And his reaction had heated up her heart, because it was clear to her that his need to protect her was so strong that it allowed him to act faster than her own, dark power. And there it came the third emotion, definitely stronger than the other two, the one which she still couldn't give a name to. It calmed her down and made her smile like a fool. A very happy fool. Because her Chosen wasn't going to abandon her. He was going to keep his word and stay by her side. And in the precise moment she realised that, all her fury just disappeared, replaced by the every day stronger feeling she felt for her Chosen. The certainty her love gave her was the only thing she needed in that moment.

Ahmanet smiled thinking about it, and that made Chris to scowl and clear his throath; he was still waiting her answer.

The princess blinked and said a simple "Apologies accepted." Then she turned to leave and reach her Chosen, her priority.

Chris, puzzled by her reaction, moved in front of her "Wait!"

Ahmanet just looked at him, astonished. He has invaded her personal space, and she didn't like that. She couldn't decide if that was a sign of bravery or stupidity. No one had ever dared so much, her Chosens excluded. She put on her best dangerous look, and when he took a step farther from her, the princess just raised a questioning eyebrow.

Chris snorted and said "I also wanted to thank you for, you know, resurrecting me." Well, considering that she was the cause of his death, it was the minumum she could do for him, but he wisely decided not to tell her that. He knew to have been very lucky, because she could have simply left him dead.

"No need. I've only done that because my Chosen was torn asunder by pain, fault and regret. He cares about you very much." The princess answered, looking around for her Chosen already. She had no interest in continuing that conversation, that wasn't important in that moment. That strange man meant nothing for her, or better, he meant something because he did for her Chosen. And that was all.

"As he does for you." Chris was still looking at her, with apparently no intensions of ending that conversation.

Those words captured Ahmanet's attention. She turned to him and studied his serious expression for a moment, before asking uncertain "I know he cares about me, he has proved it many times to me." She then inclined her head slightly and asked "Why do you sound so surprised about that?"

Chris chuckled and answered "I've never seen Nick to spring like that for a woman, neither talk about a woman with such an intense gaze. If you knew him the way I do, you'd be surprised by that too."

Ahmanet's gaze softened and she smiled sincerely to him for the first time. She was very grateful by his words. Still, she couldn't help asking "Not even for that blonde woman? That Jenny?" She wanted to know if she had to take care about that problem too.

Chris blinked twice, and then he laughed hard, clearly amused by the mummy's jealousy. He answered only after some moments, not bothered at all by Ahmanet's murderous look. "Jenny? That woman who was looking after your tomb?" He chuckled again and added "She is nothing for him. He has slept with her just to steal her some information."

And if the first part of the sentence had reassured her, the last part seemed to have made a thunder to blow up in her head. Ahmanet saw red, and pure fury runned into her veins as she shouted "He did what???"

Chris looked at her, and the phantom of his laugh soon disappeared from his face. He felt fear overwhelming him, as he noted that the mummy seemed just on the point to incinerate something. Or someone. Maybe he had done the worst choice of words possible.

Chris swallowed, and the two of them were so taken by what was happening that they didn't notice two people approaching behind them.

"Hey guys, look at who has just arrived." Nick said, smiling. But then, he saw the look on Chris' face and stopped his almost run, forcing his fellow to do the same thing.

"Nick? What's wrong?"

That voice.

Ahmanet turned, with a great fire running in her veins, ready to release it against the woman who has just spoken.

It was her, of course, holding her Chosen's arm, scared, heating up Ahmanet's rage.

Jenny.


	9. Chapter 9

All the humans drew back from her, all had the same scared expressions on their faces.

A black wave of power was rising behind Ahmanet, a threatening presage of death. If the princess had seen the fear in her Chosen's gaze, she probably would have been hurt from it. But all she could see was the hand of that blonde mortal, still on her Chosen's strong arm. One thought from her and that Jenny wouldn't have had an arm anymore. Ahmanet clenched her jaw, savouring the idea, already seeing in her mind the mortal's face contorting in pain. She liked that, and smiled. Her expression surely didn't promise good things to come, because her Chosen threw an alarmed look to that woman, and stepped in front of her.

"Hey, Ahmanet, stop, calm down, it's okay..." he started, but the princess interrupted him.

"IT'S NOT!" Her murderous gaze was still pointed on the blonde woman, who was returning it from behind Nick's back. She seemed quite terrified. Good.

"It is, she doesn't mean any harm." Nick had been so relieved to see Jenny there. Not because he felt something for her, but because she came there to help. She has explained him that she didn't like Prodigium's plans on Ahmanet. That she didn't know what to do, who she could trust, except from him. Because, her words "You can be a thief, a liar, and the worst man I've ever met, but you are not a mean man. There is good in you. And that's why I'm here. You didn't harm anyone when you helped her escape. I think you want to fix all of this. And you are the only one who seems to want to do this the right way. Without, you know, killing or torturing anyone, which I definitely don't like. So, need any help?" Nick was quite surprised that she got the point. But, hey, she was the one who succeeded in finding Ahmanet's tomb after all. She was a smart woman. And he was happy to have someone like that by his side. He thought the others would have been happy as well. Of course, he forgot the power of the jealousy. And now he wasn't that happy anymore. Ahmanet looked furious. She didn't move, as if she didn't even hear him. Her fists were clenched.

He lifted an hand and tried again "She wants to help us."

The princess still didn't move, but the black wave behind her twisted, restive, impatiente to be released.

Nick took it as a good sign. Maybe she was listening after all, or she would have let her power go already.

He took a step forward and added "Please, Ahmanet, at least listen to her. Don't you trust me?"

At those words, Ahmanet answered immediately "Of course I do."

"Then please, give her a chance." Her Chosen smiled to her, and tended his hand, asking her to take it and to come closer to him.

Ahmanet expired slowly, and let her tension to abandon her body. With some effort, she also sent her power back to where it belonged.

The humans' faces relaxed immediately, and she advanced and took her Chosen's hand.

"Thank you" he said, caressing her hand with his thumb.

She smiled at him, more calm now that the blonde didn't have her hands on him anymore. Maybe she actually was a smart girl. Maybe.

They turned to the other two, and Nick said "Alright, why don't you tell them what you told me before?"

Jenny nodded and opened her mouth to talk, but Chris preceeded her "Yes, I'd like to be adjourned too, but first, I'd like to eat something."

They all looked at him, puzzled.

"What? I was dead remember? I haven't eaten for days, and now I'm so hungry. And then, it's better to talk in front of food, isn't it?" Chris looked very serious.

Nick exchanged gazes with the two women. Jenny blinked and looked at Chris as if it was the first time she saw him. Ahmanet just looked exasperate, like if she couldn't find one good reason for having resurrected him.

Nick smiled. He's missed his friend, a lot. "Well, I suppose you are not wrong."

"Of course I'm not, buddy. Lead the way."

Nick shooked his head and said "Back to the church then."

They started walking and after a while Jenny talked "I've taken some food as well. I thought you could be hungry, but I didn't expect to find an hungry resurrected man too." She added, looking at Chris.

"Ahmanet brought him back" Nick explained, with a proud voice and a look full of love to his princess.

She smiled to him and held the look Jenny gave her. She didn't seem so surprised, the mummy was the only one who could do such things after all. She seemed more...admired. Admired for her good action. Then, Jenny smiled and said "Well, it seems I've taken the right decision then."

Nick nodded "I think so as well. You have to tell us everything."

Jenny snorted "You first. You are the only one who knows everything about this story. So let's start from the beginning, I think Chris'd appreciate that."

Chris turned to them and said "Yes I would. But most of all, I'd like to eat something, anything. I'm starving, dying for hunger. So, unless you want me to come back to be a dead man, let's hurry." Then he turned again and moved.

The other three just rolled their eyes and followed him.

It didn't take so long to reach the church, and they didn't go fast, besides Chris' complaints.

They felt safe, Jenny told them that the Prodigium didn't succeeded in tracking them yet. She did it just because when she and Nick were there to find the mummy's body, she had tried to contact the Prodigium, but she couldn't, because there was no signal in that place. So, when she decided to join them, her mind connected the pieces and she thought that place was worth a try. And it did.

Even if Henry and his men rushed there, by the way, with Ahmanet and her soldiers they wouldn't have been such a threat. Knowing that, they tried to relax and take some moments to rearrange ideas.

So, while their walk, Nick told his best friend the story from his point of view, and he listened carefully, trying to get Nick's thoughts and feelings.

Chris wanted to understand his friend, he saw how much he cared for the mummy, he saw how much he was involved in that story and he didn't want to let him alone facing all of it. Even he didn't feel comfortable when he heard what the Prodigium wanted to do to the princess. Jenny seemed disgusted too. And he laughed when Nick told him about the way he trapped the blonde woman in the bathroom. Ahmanet seemed amused as well.

"You threw a towel to her?" He asked between the laughters, while they were taking the food inside the church "What the hell were you thinking?"

"Don't laugh Chris! I don't know, I acted by instinct!" He was smiling too though.

They sat on two single benches, Jenny next to Chris, and in front of them Nick next to Ahmanet, and started to eat.

"That was not funny. You scared the hell out of me!" Jenny protested, leaning slightly towards Nick.

"Well, that was the intention." Nick answered, still smiling, but then he added "Ehm, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have used you like that again Jenny. I didn't have time, they were torturing her" he made a gesture towards Ahmanet "and I wanted to stop that."

The princess put an hand on him's and squeezed it, grateful.

"Yeah, I get it know, don't worry about it. I didn't like Prodigium's plans about her too, but I just..." Jenny seemed ashamed, she felt like if admitting that was like apologising with the mummy, the one who tried to kill her, many times. The one who probably still wanted to kill her. She felt more uncomfortable than she should in admitting a mistake and she didn't know why.

"You didn't do anything." For everyone's surprise, Ahmamet intervened, interrupting her. "Nothing but put your hands on MY Chosen." Her tone was poisoned and sharp, and made all of them to be struck dumb.

"I..." Jenny blinked twice, uncertain on what to say on her defense. Then she decided to attack instead "You tried to kill me! Several times! I'm sorry if this has...how can I say? Discouraged me to free you! You would have tried to kill me again!"

Ahmanet's expression didn't change as she said "Yes, probably. You kept giving me reasons to. You put yourself between me and my Chosen, repeatedly."

Jenny just raised her hands up in disbelief. Then she said "I didn't mean to take him away from you! We just wanted to survive that damn night! We were terrified!"

"He didn't have reasons to. I've never wanted to harm him! If you hadn't rushed here and interrupted us, he would have seen that! I was nothing but grateful! He saved me!" Now Ahmanet started to lose her manner too.

"Ha! He may have brought you away from that prison, but it's ME who found you!" Jenny exploded. She wasn't thinking, she just couldn't keep all that anger back anymore.

The church fell silent. Ahmanet tilted her head, puzzled.

"He didn't tell you, hu?" Jenny shooked her head "What a surprise! A woman works hard to do something important and of course at the end a man took all the merits." She sighed deeply and sat. In the impetuosity of the moment, she and the mummy have stood up unawares.

Ahmanet looked at her as if it was the first time she saw her, and stayed calm and quiet, all her rage and all her jealousy suddendly disappeared.

Nick sighed too and answered "I onestly didn't tell her because it has just slipped from my mind. We had more important problems to solve..." here there was an "of course" said by Jenny in a low voice, which he chose to ignore and kept talking "but I'm sorry for that too, by the way. I truly am."

"Whatever" Jenny stood up again, and for a moment it seemed she wanted to say something more to Ahmanet, her expression was calm, but then she snorted and walked towards the exit of the church.

The princess took one step forward, but Nick grabbed her arm to stop her. For a very short moment, Ahmanet had the instinct to wriggle from him and follow her, but she didn't pander it. She blinked, and turned to him. Her Chosen seemed very sorry for the way he had tricked the researcher.

He looked at her and Chris and said "I should go and talk to her. She deserves more than an apology. And if she'll stay with us, there has to be no rancor between us. We had to stay united if we want to succeed, or survive."

"I agree with you buddy. We are in this together and we have to have each others back" Chris stood up too, put an hand on his shoulder and added "And this is why she and our favourite princess here have to talk as well, at least to make a truce. But for now maybe we should leave her alone, to cool down her rage."

Nick nodded, but before he could say anything, Ahmanet preceded him "I'm talking to her now." And she started walking.

The two men exchanged a look, and then Nick stopped her once more and tried to talk "Ahmanet wait, she is..."

"She is very mad with you. She probably hasn't realized it till now. You apologised to her already, now it's my turn to talk to her." The princess' voice wasn't hard, but the determination shone through it. He was not going to stop her. "She won't listen one more single word from you know, my Chosen."

Nick and Chris both looked at her, and then the last one said "She is right buddy. And she is a woman, she can understand other women better than us, don't you think?"

Nick looked at him with a betrayed expression, but then he lifted his shoulders and answered "Yes, I suppose so..." He looked at Ahmanet for a long moment, unsure on what to do.

He couldn't get her intentions, and he didn't like that, at all. He couldn't get the reason of her sudden need to talk to her. He hadn't the foggiest idea of what she was thinking about.

So, when she turned and started to walk again towards the exit, he followed her for a few steps and, reached a certain distance from Chris, he grabbed her arm and stopped her once more. He made her to turn to him, and looked straight in her eyes.

Ahmanet raised an eyebrow and asked "What is it, my Chosen? Why are you so worried? I'm not going to hurt her, I promise. Don't you trust me?"

"Nono, of course I do, I..." Nick sighed and continued "I told you the truth before, you know. I had no intention of hiding you that she was the one who discovered your existence...I just forgot about it. I did, I wasn't omitting it intentionally." He took a deep breath and added "Actually, I had not idea of what I was doing when I fired to that rope and freed you. I was guided by the worse intentions when I searched your tomb. Chris and I thought Jenny was after a treasure, and to get to it I..." He swallowed.

"You slept with her and stole her the information that guided you to me." Ahmanet finished for him, her gaze was inscrutable.

Nick just nodded, his throath was dry. He let her go and diverted his eyes, ashamed and almost scared of her reaction.

Ahmanet just looked at him for a long moment, thinking. Now she could understand that Jenny and her anger a little more. Actually she was surprised at the fact that the mortal has exploded just now. Well, the princess imagined that she had had to shelve that affair to survive. And that hearing her talking about him in those terms had brought her rage back roughly. Knowing those things now, Ahmanet probably would have spared her, but if she had before, well, she wasn't sure.

Then she brought her attention on her Chosen once again. He was clearly ashamed and scared of her possible reaction.

She didn't know what to say, or what to think either. She did hate some men's behaviours, and that thought about which they were better than women, and because of that they had the right to do whatever they wanted. Like using women just to reach an aim, as Nick did. It wasn't so different from using a woman just to have an heir for the throne. Or more than one, if the present heir isn't a male. She clenched her jaw.

Then she expired and relaxed. All of that was the past. Nick was a different person now, he truly regretted what he had done, and he would have never done such a thing now. She did far worse things, she could easely forgive him for that, mostly because she knew he didn't feel anything for Jenny. And when he had slept with her, Ahmanet still wasn't in his life. Furthermore, everything that happened before their meeting brought them there, at that moment. Where all she saw in front of her was a man who respected her and cared about her. He has proven it several times. A man that she was happy to have chosen. A man from which she was happy to have been chosen in return. And that was all.

Nick still hadn't said a word, he was waiting for her to talk first.

The princess smiled to him, and put an hand on his cheek. "I'm happy you told me the truth, not everyone would have done that."

Her Chosen looked at her, incredulous, and asked "You are not mad at me?"

"I don't like what you've done, but I can see how much you regret that. And now you are a different person, as I'm trying to return to be. Thanks to you." Ahmanet smiled at him "See? The man you were would have run or fought me, he would have chosen the easiest way to save himself. But you chose the hard way, the more dangerous one. You have chosen to save me, when even I didn't want to be saved. You gave me a reason to fight and remedy to my mistake. And even if you aren't the one who found and save me from that tomb, you are the one who is saving me now, from my personal prison, from myself. And you are the man who I choose today."

Nick felt tears fulling his eyes, he was overwhelmed by emotion at his beautiful woman's words.

He smiled, put and hand on her cheek as well and kissed her deeply, making her to feel all the amazing emotions she provoked him. When they pulled away, he layed his forehead on her's and whispered "Thank you."

Then he opened his eyes and promised "I'll try to be worthy of your trust every single day. I won't disappoint you, or abandon you either. I swear it."

Ahmanet smiled, kissed him lightly and said "Now let me go, my Chosen, I and that Jenny need to talk. And we need to do this alone."

"Ok, I got it. Ehm, good luck, I suppose." He kissed her once more and let her go.

When he returned back to Chris, his friend found him definitely calmer then before.

"Everything good, I guess?"

"You guess well. We are good." Nick smiled at him and resumed eating his sandwitch.

"Yeah, I saw it." Chris looked at the entrance of the church "I know those two need to talk, I suggested it after all, but are we sure that letting them alone now is a good idea?"

"I wasn't sure before, but Ahmanet wants to do it and I'm not going to stop her, I don't think I can and I don't want to. She is changing, I trust her, I really do." Nick looked at his friend "She took you back, and it was her the one who proposed it by the beginning."

"Ah, thank you mate!" Chris threw a punch to him, which Nick dodged before saying "Ehy wait! I didn't even know that was possible!"

"Yeah, yeah, sure" Chris snorted and kept eating.

"I'm serious mate. I was desperate and she proposed me that. She could have avoided it, you know, but she didn't. And she didn't kill those men the Prodigium sent against us. These are steps forward." Nick smiled, confident.

"Yeah, but she turned them into damn puppets. Maybe death is better than that." Chris' eyes were pointed on a wall, but they didn't see it. He was thinking about his puppet experience, and, from his face, you could tell he didn't like it at all.

"I thought that too, and we had a fight for that."

Before he could continue to talk, Chris exclaimed "You two had a fight? What? The perfect couple had a fight? Unbelievable!"

Nick huffed and slapped him on the nape before talking "As I was saying, I thought that too before she told me she can release them anytime. And she will, when this story is over."

He drank some water, then he turned totally to his friend and asked "So, now you wanna hear what Jenny told me when she arrived here or we'll keep waste our time?"

Chris grinned and answered "Even if I'd like that, before I want to see the full picture. Go on bro."

Ahmanet walked out of the church and took a look around.

The blonde woman was sat against a wall near the exit. She was torturing her own hands, probably because of the stress.

Ahmanet took a moment to observe her. After what she learned some moments before, she could see her under a new, different light. She didn't see her as a rival in love anymore, but more like someone similar to her. She could understand how she felt better than anyone. And she felt the impulse to tell her, to talk to her about that. So, after a moment, she approached her.

Jenny didn't look at her, but when she came close enough, she spoke "Coming to punish me for hurting your precious chosen? Or to tell me again what wonderful man he is?"

"Quite the contrary, actually."

Ahmanet sat next to her, and sent her two guards who stood near them away with a simple nod. She wasn't joking when she said it was a thing only between the two of them.

Jenny turned to her, and lifted a questioning eyebrow at her gesture, at which Ahmanet simply said "I just wanted to talk to you alone. And I don't really need them. If an enemy approaches, I can perceive him long before them."

"Yeah, of course" Jenny took a deep breath and said "Yes, it's between the two of us. Can I speak clearly? Or my life is hanging by a thread?"

Ahmanet chuckled, which surprised the blonde, she liked that the woman went straight to the point, and answered "I'm not going to kill you. I promise."

"Well, that's a relief." Jenny diverted her gaze and added "I'm sorry for run away like a child, but I wanted to clarify things with you as well, I mean, if we are going to be in the same team we need to, and I couldn't in that moment, anger overwhelmed me."

She made a break and then she continued "But that's the only thing I'm sorry for. I spoke the truth, and even if you don't like it, I'm not going to apologise for it. I didn't mean to make you and Nick to fight or something like that, but I couldn't stop myself. I just couldn't keep that for me anymore. I mean, what I got is that you wouldn't have harmed him because he saved you, but me? You would have killed me just because I was there, trying to survive whit him, when it was only because of me that he found you."

Jenny's voice went calmer and calmer while she was speaking, but her fists were clenched, and she was still avoiding her gaze.

"You are right."

That made Jenny to suddendly turn to her, that was probably the last thing she was expecting to hear. Ahmanet smiled to her and continued "I don't know if knowing it at that time would have made me to spare you, but I'm glad to know it now."

Jenny raised both her eyebrows, she found that hard to believe.

The princess got it and said "I really am. It makes me easier to accept you here, to understand you and to find a meeting point with you."

Jenny was listening very carefully now. She got all her attention.

Ahmanet turned completely to her too, and said "I know how you feel Jen..what's your complete name?" She didn't feel comfortable in calling her "Jenny", it seemed too personal to her.

"Ehm..." the other woman seemed surprised by the question at first, but then she understood and shooked lightly her head, answering "It's Jennifer, but you can call me Jenny or Jen if you want."

Ahmanet just didn't call her, she continued talking as if she has never stopped "I know how it feels to be set aside from men after an hard work. I lived it."

A flash of awareness passed in Jenny's eyes, and she said "You had been set aside when your brother was born, after you had spent all your life training for being pharaoh."

Ahmanet tilted her head slightly, and barely ajar her eyes, at which Jenny explained "You are my life's work, remember? I know your story. Well, the little part of it I could find something about. It hadn't been easy. They erased you from history."

Ahmanet threw open her eyes, and then chuckled, and said "Not that surprising, don't you think? I dared to lift my head against those stupid rules, that made women almost powerless against men, and they mummified me alive and, not happy, cancelled my whole life, my entire existence." It was her turn to clench her fists.

Jenny thought that yeah, the reaction maybe had been a little exaggerated, but the princess killed her father, the pharaoh himself, his partner and their newborn child. Oh, and she also made a pact with an evil god. So maybe she had wronged the method as well.

"I was furious, you know." Ahmanet started talking again, and Jenny brought her attention back to her "I had spent my whole life following my father's teaching, training to be a good guide to my people, and a good pharaoh for the Egypt. I loved my homeland, and I loved my father, with all my heart. I dedicated myself to him and to the task he was going to give me. And I thought he loved me too. I thought he wanted to pass me the power and the throne because he thought I was worthy to get it. But then he had a son with a slave." She clenched her jaw, so much that Jenny found it hard to kept listening to her "And he decided to give HIM the throne. Not because he was smart, or because he had some special abilities, or because he deserved it somehow. In those cases, I...I could have also tried to understand it and to step aside willingly. But no, it wasn't because of that. The little prince had barely born and he had gotten the throne and all my father's love just by that. Because he was a male. And in our society he had all the rights to. No matter I dedicated all my life for it, no matter how hard I tried to repay my father's trust, no matter how much hard I've worked, for years. The pharaoh has had an illegitimate son from a slave, a male, and the throne automatically passes to him. And no one cared for me, for how I could feel about it, not even my father, because I was a woman. So I realized he only saw that about me. Since I was the only heir, I would have gotten the throne. But with a new, male heir, I just became the older sister of the new next pharaoh."

Ahmanet felt her fury to feed her power, and didn't even tried to stop it when it emerged. It destroyed a row of columns of the stone building in front of the church, and the whole structure collapsed.

Jenny winced, and looked fascinated at the demonstration of the mummy's power.

Ahmanet expired, feeling a little better, and said "I'm sorry, it's very difficult to controll my power when I'm angry. It likes my darkest emotions and uses them to emerge."

Jenny nodded slowly, still surprised and asked "Better now that you has vented your rage?"

The princess made a little smile to her and answered "Yes, definitely." And, after a moment "Sorry for the outburst."

"Nono, don't be sorry for it, it's alright. I'm glad you told me those things. I think we really can understand each others better than anyone else."

Jenny smiled to the mummy, a sincere, spontaneous smile, and she obtained in return one wider than the previous one the princess gave her.

In that moment Nick and Chris rushed out of the church, they have the same allarmed look in their eyes.

Jenny hurried to calm them down "It's alright boys, don't worry, and come back in. We'll come when we finish this."

Ahmanet just nodded to her Chosen when he looked at her, and the two men came back into the church, mumbling something about how difficult it was to understand them.

Then Jenny talked first "I've always loved your culture. When I found the first clue of your existence, I thought that I could do something important, and I was so happy that it was related to my passion."

She smiled and felt quite satisfied in seeing that the mummy was listening to her carefully, as she did with her before. "It's been very hard, your medjays did a good job. But I didn't want to give up, so I kept digging. And at that point Henry contacted me."

Ahmanet's expression became puzzled, and Jenny explained "He is the boss of Prodigium. You know, that man who was talking with me and Nick in front of you back in their base."

The princess nodded and commented "Yes, I remember him. He had a demon inside too. I perceived it."

Jenny snorted "You have no idea. Anyway, he offered me his help in my research. I accepted because he had more tracks to follow than I did, and he needed my help too. We could work together and discover the truth faster than working by our own. After few weeks we had a place in mind, so he sent me there. Then I met Nick. You know the rest." She made a little break, and then added "I also want to tell you that I don't have any romantic feelings for Nick. I made a mistake with him, and I paid the consequences of it. I just care about him as a friend would do that. And I definitely don't want to stand among you."

Ahmanet studied her expression for just a second before talking "I believe you. I think I got that when you told me those things back in there. And that's also when I decided to talk to you and to try to understand you. Oh, and of course I decided to give you the benefict of doubt and don't kill you."

Jenny laughed and asked "I hope to have repaid your trust."

Ahmanet smiled and answered "Yes you did. I think we are okay now."

Jenny smiled and tended her hand "Well, then, mm..." she didn't know what to propose. Friends? Too soon for that. Partners? Nah. Mates? She huffed.

Ahmanet lifted a questioning eyebrow, observing her tensed hand with curiosity.

"Whatever" Jenny thought, they didn't have to define what they were for each others. She was happy they did several steps forward from the point "we have to stop/kill the other". So she said "Ehm, I guess you won't try to kill me again then?"

Ahmanet smiled and grabbed her hand, it seemed the right thing to do, even if she had never done such a thing before. "Sure, I won't. I promise." And then, she added "I'm glad you didn't give up on searching me. It's good to be free and myself again. I won't waste this opportunity."

Jenny drew back her hand and said "And I'm glad I succeeded in finding you, even if with a little help. And I'm sorry for not having done a single thing to help you when I realised what were the plans of the Prodigium for you. It was a complex situation, you see, I was scared of you, I thought you were a dangerous threat, but I was also horrified at the thought of what they wanted to do to you. Luckily Nick decided to do something himself."

She snorted, and then continued "Now I've understood that there is another way to fix all of this, and that the Prodigium doesn't want to do this the right way. They want to do this the easiest one. Well, you have to consider they have to worry about the world's safety, but ehy that doesn't mean we don't! And they don't know, or don't want to know that you are not an evil creature out of controll. I didn't know that too, but now that I do, I want to help you even more."

Ahmanet smiled and stood up, and when Jenny did the same, she said "I'm glad to hear that. I want to do this the right way too. My Chosen helped me realising that." She made a break and observed her before adding "He is different now, you know. He truly regrets what he did to you."

Jenny looked at her for a long moment, and thought that she was changing for real to say her those things. Then she smiled and they walked back inside the church in a comfortable silence.

Once they reached the men, Chris talked "Well, you two are still alive and sound, so I guess everything is okay now."

They nodded and he continued "Then are you in Jen?"

She smiled and answered "I'm in."


	10. Chapter 10

"The big question is" started Jenny "what do you intend to do?" She asked looking at Ahmanet and Nick.

The man furrowed his eyebrows "What do you mean? We want to survive, to live without the constant fear of being caught by the Prodigium..I thought that was obvious?"

Jenny rolled her eyes and talked directly to Ahmanet "They won't stop until they have completely neutralized you. Henry sees you as the ultimate evil, the worst threat for the humanity. He will not stop, and this time he will come with everything he can. He has underestimated you once, he won't do that again."

"Great, that's just great" Chris muttered between his theeth. They all ignored him.

Ahmamet bit her lower lip, her gaze absent.

After some moments, Nick laid a hand on her shoulder, and she met Jenny's eyes, and answered "Honestly I have no idea. All I used to think about, all the things that mattered the most to me, my throne, my reign, my power...all those things have lost their importance to me now. I...I just want to be with my Chosen, not to turn him into a god, or to reign with him, I..." she looked at him "I just want to be with him."

He took her hand and they gazed at each others so intensely that Jenny and Chris had to look away, feeling like intruders in that private moment.

Ahmanet had thought about that a lot.

All the things she wanted in her previous life now seemed empty desires of a foolish, little girl. Of a princess, who believed her only purpose was to lead her people and concentrated all her energy in that. Of a daughter, who only wanted to make her father proud. Of a woman who thought she couldn't choose a different path, because she didn't know there was one, or more. But now she did. Now she had the choice that was taken from her by her father, her people, her own culture and mentality. Now she had it. And she had her Chosen, the only one who has ever treated her as a real person, who hasn't looked at her and seen the princess, the pharao to be, the monster, the mummy. He has looked at her and he has seen the real her, Ahmanet. He was the only one who has made her feel like a person, and that had destabilized her at the beginning. But now, she considered it a reality, an ordinary fact, and she was beyond grateful fot that. She didn't want to loose that. And she knew for certain that if she went on her initial dark path, she would lose that, and him. And she didn't want to, she couldn't.

Nick's thought were similar to hers.

He shared her desire to be together, and after all they have been through, he wanted nothing more than a simple, boring, ordinary life. He wouldn't mind if he got to spend it with her. He couldn't imagine it any other way, and he wouldn't want it any other way. He swallowed, those feelings, that desire to belong to someone, to her, scared him as well as excited him. He was never one for serious relationship, but now he wanted one, with Ahmanet. He needed some time by himself, he decided, to figure those feelings and those very new desires out.

"So..." Chris interrupted their moment and their thoughts "how are we going to convince the soldiers about it? I don't think they'll just believe you on your word."

"They certainly won't. Or they won't care. It would be a risk too high to just let you go with all that pow..wait a minute." Jenny's eyes shone with excitement "Do you have the dagger here?"

Ahmanet and Nick exchanged a look, then he took the weapon from his inner pocket and handed it to the woman.

Jenny studied it for a moment, then said, with a pointed look "The stone is missing. It's useless without it."

Ahmanet nodded "Yes, I know it. In fact, I planned to go and take it just after my evasion."

Jenny frowned "And why didn't you?"

Ahmanet and Nick looked at each other, than the man blushed, which the princess found extremely cute, and answered "We...got distracted."

Jenny kept her frown but decided she didn't want to know, while Chris coughed suddendly, even if she swore to see a smile on his lips. She shrugged it off and asked "Well, do you know where it is?"

Ahmanet nodded "Yes, I can perceive it" she turned towards London and pointed a finger, adding "It's kept under the city we left to come here."

When she turned around again, she found Jenny looking at her with her mouth open and a rapt expression, and she only heard the muttered "Fascinating" thanks to her superhuman senses. She smiled and lifted an eyebrow, amused, and the other woman quickly closed her mouth and cleared her throath, clearly embarassed by her own reaction.

The princess chuckled but decided to take her out of her misery and continued "I can find it in any moment. Why do you ask?"

"Well, in theory, if you can use the stone and the dagger to give someone the powers of a god, maybe...you can also use them to take them from someone" she lifted her eyes to meet Ahmanet's.

Everyone else went still for a moment.

"Wait a minute" Nick started, but Chris chuckled and interrupted him "Well, that would be helpful. Very helpful. It could solve all our problems. Jenny, you are a real genius."

"We don't know for sure.."

"No, but if she is right, and the mummy here come back to be a normal human, than the bad guys wouldn't have a reason to come after us anymore" Chris reasoned, excited.

"You don't know that. They could come to take her to examine her and she would be defensless!" Nick protested.

"Maybe, but we wouldn't bud. We are trained soldiers, same as they are." Chris smiled confidently for the first time in a while, and that warmed Nick's heart, and he smiled too, grateful.

"We are slightly outnumbered, if you haven't noticed" Jenny commented.

Nick shooked his head and added "Yes that, and the choice is Ahmanet's, not ours.." he protested.

"Yes, but..."

The humans' voices started to fade as Jenny's words sank in. The princess never actually considered to let go her powers. That thougth never crossed her mind, she didn't even considered if it could be possible or not. The other woman's logic was impeccable though, so she could be right, after all. And the possibility of being human again, truly herself again, and live a normal life with her Chosen...that was a lot to take in.

And a lot to consider and think about. Was it wise to give up all her powers to return a fragile human being? A woman, in a world ruled by men, again? She trusted her Chosen, and she felt deeply bonded to him, but...so she did with her father, the most important man in her previous life.

That thought made her hesitate, and many poisonous doubts grew in her mind.

"This is an important theory indeed, one that shall be verified soon" the humans interrupted the discussion to listen to her, and she kept her tone emotionless and firm, as she was taught to do to mask her insecurities "I'm not sure about what to do yet, but I do know that we can't leave the stone in the Prodigium's hands. Who knows what they are going to do with it, they could destroy it, and then we'll never know if you were right" she concluded, looking at Jenny.

The woman looked at her for a long moment, sensing that the princess didn't spoke all her mind, but she knew it wasn't the right time to push, so she agreed "You are right, we need to rescue it. And the sooner we do it, the merrier."

Both men nodded, and Chris said "Well, I don't have anywhere to be today, and I can't wait to leave this creepy place."

Nick stood up "What are we waiting for?"


	11. Chapter 11

The group came back to the jeep Nick and Ahmanet had used to get to the church.

They all went to climb in, but when the mummy's soldiers followed them, Chris lifted an eyebrow and asked nervously "Wait, they are coming too?"

Ahmanet shrugged, but Nick guessed they made Chris uncomfortable, so he came to his help "Actually, we don't need them. They can stay here, to guard the place until our return, yeah?" He looked at Ahmanet for confirmation.

The princess frowned and answered "Yes they can, but they can also protect us, that'll be more useful."

Chris didn't like hearing the mummy to speak about what once were normal human beings as if they now were simple objects to use at her pleasure. Well, not that she wasn't right, because she actually turned them into that. But he didn't have to agree with it or to like it, or the fact that she talked about them that way.

He remembered very well what that transformation felt like from the inside. Those memories made him violently shivered.

The horrible feeling of loosing control over his own body, of his action, and, little by little over his own mind and thoughts. The panic of feeling it happening and being unable to do anything about it. He felt trapped, as the curse suffocated him and took control of him. He had wished so intensely to die, to be free that when death actually came, but didn't free him, something broke inside him. He had lost all his will to fight; he had let the curse guide him back to Nick, he had warned him that he couldn't escape from her, from the curse, and he had been right. Her power was indeed over life and death.

He was still there, after all, and alive, again.

Sure, he had his free will back, and he was beyond grateful for that, but what about those soldiers?

"We don't need their protection Ahmanet, we have you" Nick insisted, giving her a smile.

Ahmanet thought for a moment, then agreed "You are right, my Chosen. I'll leave them here on guard."

Nick gave her another smile, a grateful one, but apparently Chris wasn't satisfied.

"Will they be okay?" He asked, and everyone turned to look at him "I mean, what if they become hungry, or thirsty? How will they satisfy their needs?"

Ahmanet didn't like the harshness of his tone, and answered coldly "Don't worry, as you may know, their only need is to satisfy MY needs. They won't think about anything else."

The man before her tensed, and clenched his jaw, and she saw the reproachful look her Chosen gave her, so she sighed and added "Seriously, you have nothing to worry about. My power will sustain them, they won't need anything."

Then she grabbed his Chosen's hand and got in the jeep, with the grace of the princess she once had been.

Nick took a deep breath and gave his best friend a supportive glance, but the other man didn't acknowledge it.

That tense situation between the two most important people in his life was tearing him apart. He couldn't choose a side, and didn't want to. He needed to help them erase that tension.

He would have asked Chris to be more understanding and less harsh with the mummy. And he would have talked to Ahmanet about freeing those soldiers as soon as possible. The man didn't think he could ask something more from her. He loved his best friends, but he also knew that Chris could be very insufferable sometines. His personality wasn't for everyone's liking.

Nick then exaled and took his focus back on the present situation, asking Jenny to drive, which the woman did, after throwing a worried glance at Chris.

He just nodded at her and put on a determined look: they had a mission to do.

They drove mostly in silence, with the exception of Ahmanet, who from time to time gave Jenny the directions.

The woman stopped the car near a site, which she recognised immediately.

"This is the place where just a few days ago were discovered several ancient tombs" Jenny told the others "Here we found the final leads which brought us to you" she concluded, turning towards the princess.

Ahmanet looked back at her, with a little, grateful smile on her lips, then she moved her four inhuman eyes back to the site and simply said "The Stone is in there, I can feel it."

"Great. How do we get in?" Chris was looking at the site too, studying it "I don't see any guards outside, but I bet everything there'd be plenty of them inside."

"He is right" agreed Jenny "And considering the link between this place and Ahmanet, they will be Prodigium's soldiers. They will be expecting her."

"They won't be a problem" the mummy simply replied.

When three pair of eyes looked at her she lifted her shoulders and added "What? I'm not giving them the chance to hit me with the mercury again."

"Ahmanet" started Jenny "no one here wants to see you tortured with it again. Believe me, I can still hear your screams of pain when I close my eyes." She swallowed, and the princess studied her expression carefully "But if you keep killing people, and Prodigium's soldiers, Henry will never let you go. Trust me, I know him. Maybe he'll se your change, but he is human, and his men are, too. They are not above emotions like grief, revenge and bloodthirst, on the contrary, Henry's inner demon feeds on them."

For a moment a challenge crossed Ahmanet's eyes at the mention of the evil nature of her former captor's own demon. That look said taht she would't have back down from a confrontation, and maybe she would have even liked it.

But as soon as it came it passed, and the princess nodded and replied "I know that, I have already had this conversation with my Chosen a few days ago. And that's why I won't hurt those man, just knock them out."

They all smiled, but then froze when she added, with her best cold and murderous tone "However, if this demon will ever attempt to come after and harm any of us, I will fight him, and I won't hold back."

Her most inhuman part wanted to add an accurate description of every deliciously harmful thing she would have done to that patetic human and his little angry demon, but she kept that to herself. She also shutted that beastly part of her down, unwillingly to listen to it anymore.

On the other hand, any of the three humans felt, who more, who less, a little emotion warm them hearing the protectivness of her tone and her words. They also felt very relieved she didn't want to commite a carnage.

So they all smiled at her, and the princess, seeing the sincerity and the gratefulness behind their smiles, adverted her eyes, uncertain.

She wasn't used to this. To a warm answer to her cold threaths of despicable things.

She was used to fear, horror and disgust as answers to her very existence, by everyone but her Chosen.

So seeing that gratefulness, that faith in her and her words in the eyes of other two people, two former enemies of her in the past, well...it was something else. Something that gave her more hope than she could handle. Because she knew that hope was a very powerful, but indeed very dangerous thing.

She had been hopeful about her future every day of her previous life. Hopeful that if she worked hard enough, she would have been enough. And what was worst was that when it all crumbled down, all her dreams, all her expectations, all her hard work, that was the moment she believed the most her hope would have repaid her.

But that didn't happen. All her hopes were crushed, and so was she. And she truly didn't want that to happen again. Because if the last time she had made a pact with Set, the Chaos' god himself, she could only imagine what she could do now.

And she didn't want to be that person anymore, bloodthirsty and angry with the world.

She could only hope that these people and her Chosen would help her and protect her from herself. And, of course, never betray her.

Ahmanet lifted her gaze and met theirs, and seeing the sincerity in their expression caused her to smile back.

In that moment, she decided she'd allow herself that trust in them, and that little hope linked to it.

"Okay, so what's the plan?" Chris asked, ending the peaceful moment and bringing them all back to reality.

"I could go in there" proposed Jenny "and tell them I need all the soldiers to go somewhere else as reinforces against you. In that way, you'll have to knock out just the team searching for the Stone. And the risk that they succeeded to shot you would be nullified, as those of people getting injured or killed unintentionally. What do you think?"

Both the men nodded and Nick said "Seems a good plan to me."

The woman then turned to the princess "Ahmanet?"

The mummy liked that this woman had no problems calling her by her name. It could seem a stupid and little detail, but it made her feel more human, more herself, and she needed it.

She answered without hesitation "I agree."

Probably she wouldn't have before, but after their "clarification chat" she did trust Jenny, and she didn't doubt her loyalty to their cause. She understood her better, seeing a lot of herself in her. At one point between then and now even the thought that she wouldn't have disliked to be her friend had crossed her mind. And she felt that if the other woman did betray them, she would be sorry and maybe also a little hurt by it. She wouldn't have let her come in their way with all her means, but still. It was a progress.

Jenny nodded and added "I'll just need their communications interrupted, so it'll take them a little more to figure out what's happening."

"That won't be a problem" Chris answered, pointing to some electrical equipment "I'll take care of those, and they won't be able to communicate with the base."

At Jenny's puzzled look, he added "What? I've always loved to mess things up and I may or may not have taken some private lessons to do just that."

Nick laughed as Jenny rolled her eyes and it was Ahmanet's turn to be puzzled, but she didn't comment on it.

Then Chris asked the princess "Could you mess up the weather instead?"

"Could I...what?" Ahmanet blinked twice, even more puzzled.

Jenny sighed and clarified "He is asking if you could change the weather to interfere with their local communications as well."

"Ehi, that's clever, good thought buddy" Nick high fived him, then told his lover "Could you evoke a storm?"

"Yeah, that would work. A big storm, with lightnings and all?" Chris added.

Now she understood.

Ahmanet smiled "Yes, of course. You could have told me that from the start."

Then the mummy looked at the blue, calm sky above them. Her smile turned wicked as her four eyes shone, focussing.

The god who gave her the powers was Set, his very reign was the Chaos. He lived in it, for it, and would do anything to provoke it. And now so would she.

Ahmanet started whispering ancient words of egyptian magic, so old that even Jenny, with all her studies, could not understand them.

Chris couldn't, for the life of him, catch a single word, or figure out when one finished and the other began. And he was far too happy about it.

Only Nick, thanks to their magic bond, could grasp some word here and there. But he didn't tell the others their meanings, he just listened and looked, in part intimidated, like Chris, in part fascinated, like Jenny, as the very words the mummy pronounced changed the reality.

Ahmanet talked about her god, Set, about his reign, his mission, his legacy. Every word, everything related to him lead to Chaos, and that was what she would have caused with the forming storm.

Her power, Set's power, seemed even too happy to answer her request. It accomplished so fast and so easely that the princess smiled, amused by it.

But that also remembered her the pact that she had made with the very god who was allowing her all of that. And one, very important question rose in her mind: if she didn't do as she promised, would there have been consequences? She didn't know, but she knew she needed to be very careful on her next moves.

A mighty thunder interrupted her thoughts and she watched, very pleased, as her storm finally came to life.

Angry winds, violent rain as those she remembered from home, and lightnings and thunders that blinded and deafened the city.

"Wow. It's like Thor himself is out there, fighting with some alien threath" Chris murmured, fascinated despite himself.

Ahmanet frowned "Who is this Thor?"

"It's the viking god of thunder. He is in a lot of movies lately. Ignore him" answered Jenny, without adverting her eyes from the storm "It's amazing."

The mummy didn't know if that god existed or was just a legend, but she did know he wasn't the one she should be worried about. She bit her lower lip, while her thoughts went down the same road as some moments earlier.

They didn't arrive far though, because her Chosen took her hand and told her "Good job, that'll make our mission easier" and kissed her cheek.

If she could have blushed, she would, there was no doubt about that, but her evil corrupted form couldn't. She smiled at him nonetheless, pleased.

"Well, that's my clue. I'll see you back here then" that said, Jenny got out the car, followed by Chris, who nodded to them both goodbye.

Jenny's part went on particularly easy, since they all knew her and had no reasons to doubt her words. And then, seeing the storm outside, they easely believed that the mummy was involved.

The woman even succeeded in sending all the soldiers to the "known location" of the princess.

"It's better if you stop her before she can get in here. Imagine what she could do if she came nearer to the Stone, which is impregnated with her god's power. No, you have to stop her before that moment. Now go" that had convinced them.

"What about the communications?" A soldier asked "The signal is practically gone."

"So Chris has succeeded in his part of the plan as well, good" she thought and answered them "Don't worry, I'm going to the base to inform Henry right now. After all, here there is nothing more I can do."

The soldiers nodded and went outside without anymore questions, and, after some moments, she exited too and went back to the jeep.

"It's all clear. Now I'll go get Chris and we'll wait for you in the car" she told Nick and Ahmanet, then went to get the other man.

Just as Jenny had said, Ahmanet and Nick didn't found any soldier into the site, and were able to proceed quickly till the room where the Stone was.

Nick watched fascinated but also a bit horrified as the mummy breathed deeply in and then out, sending an actual growing sand storm to knock unconscious the team that was inspecting the tombs.

The sand disappeared once her task was completed with a gesture of Ahmanet's hand, as she walked confidently to a particular tomb among the others.

Nick jumped a little when the skeleton buried in there lifted the stone slab, freeing himself, and handed the mummy what they were looking for.

Ahmanet took it, and the dead man laid back into his tomb to continue his eternal sleep as if nothing happened.

The princess turned towards him, a satisfied smile on her face, and showed him the red stone containing the power to make a common man a living god. And, hopefully, also the power to undo the process.

Ahmanet's eyes were shining, but she wasn't looking at the Stone, only at him "We got it."

Nick nodded and smiled back, then took her hand, and she returned the hold readily.

"Now let's get out of here."


	12. Chapter 12

The group came back to the church and entered it, as always escorted by the mummy's soldiers.

They sat down on the benches, and Ahmanet showed the Stone to the others with a pleased smile.

"All this troubles for that little red thing?" Chris asked, lifting his eyebrows.

"That red little thing" started Jenny before Ahmanet could "contains the power of a god."

"Seriously buddy, what did you expect?" Nick asked, astonished by his friend's first words on the topic.

"Well, something bigger, for sure" Chris shrugged.

"Anyway" continued Nick, giving him a look that asked him to drop it "How do we proceed?"

"Now that we have both the dagger and the Stone, my Chosen, I think I can use them together to take Set's power from myself and put it back into the weapon" the princess answered, her expression thoughtful.

"You think?" Chris asked, a bewildered look on his face "You are not certain? Are you kidding us?"

Nick huffed, exasperated "Man, calm down, what's your problem?"

"I'll tell you right now Nick" Chris stood up and came closer to the lovers' bench almost aggressively, which brought the other man to get on his feet as well "My problem is that we risked our lives to help her retrieve that stone and she didn't even know is she can actually use it! A detail she failed to mention before."

"It's not like that trip could be in the top ten of our most dangerous missions, Chris!" Everyone ignored Jenny's bewildered look at him at the mention of said list, and Nick added "I think everyone is here because we all chose to be here, you included.."

He stopped speaking when Ahmanet rose from her seat as well, laid an hand on his shoulder and said "It's okay, my Chosen, I don't need you to defend me" she smiled at him, then turned her four amber eyes on Chris, piercing him with a cold gaze "And to answer you questions, Christian, no, I am not certain that what I have in mind will work. It's a complex matter, one which has never been not even discussed before. And I…" she interrupted herself, uncertain, her hand found her Chosen's and her eyes found Jenny's, who frowned at her expression, but the mummy quickly steeled her features and corrected herself "And we would have needed the Stone in any case. So, I'm not asking you to try and understand how magic of that level of complexity works, because I know for sure you can't. I'm asking you to stop doubting me and my intensions and talking to me that way, or leave." She kept her firm, threatning gaze on him for a few moments, then, pleased by his loss of words, she squeezed her Chosen's hand and exited the church by one of the side doors.

As soon as she left Chris kicked a bench, anger evident in his face, and headed towards the main door of the bulding with loud steps without a word nor a glance to the other two.

Nick sighed and passed an hand through his hair, frustrated. That tension between the two most important people in his life was tearing him apart, and he didn't know what to do. He stood still on his spot, looking from one door to the other, incapable of moving towards neither of them.

Jenny came to his help, finally standing up as well and coming closer to him. She laid an hand on his shoulder, like Ahmanet had done before her, in a friendly, comforting gesture.

Nick glanced at her, and after another sigh, he commented "They can't go on like this."

"No, you are right" the woman immediately agreed "We need to be all on the same side" then, after a pause, she pushed him lightly to the main door's direction and added "Go talk to him."

Nick turned to her, surprised, his internal struggle clearly visible in his agitated blue eyes "But..what about Ahmanet?"

"I'll go and talk to her" Jenny readily answered "Chris needs his best friend, he can't stay if he thinks everyone is against him, and you are not, right? Plus, I don't know him very well, so I don't think he would listen to me."

The man didn't move though, still unconvinced "But Ahmanet needs me too."

Jenny smiled at him, admiring his devotion to the princess "She does, but not as much as your best friend needs you right now. Ahmanet was harsh with him, and you stuck by her side" she lifted an hand to stop his surely upcoming protests and continued "I'm not saying you were wrogn to do so, just that he's probalby feeling alone, apart from angry and frustrated. So go talk to him, I'll try to calm Ahmanet down, then those two hotheads will have to talk and clarify* things with each other as well."

Nick nodded, then smiled at her "Thank you Jenny, for what you are doing. I'm happy to have you by our side, and I'm happy to see that you and Ahmanet are getting along well."

"I'm happy too, I feel this is the right thing to do. And yes, I suppose you can say that. I mean, we are not friends, but I think I'd like us to be; I see a lot of myself in her" Jenny answered with a smile, and turned to go to the mummy.

"Ehi wait" Nick stopped her, coming closer to her with a new insecurity in his eyes "I also wanted to make sure that you knew I'm sorry for what I've done to you, since we are talking from the heart. It was wrong to sleep with you to steal your life's work. I'm sorry."

Jenny studied him for a few moments, then nodded "Thank you for your apology, I really appreciate it. Of course I'm not mad anymore about it, but it's nice gesture from you nevertheless" she smiled at him "Now we can officially start over. Friends?" She extended her hand.

Nick smiled as well, relieved, and grabbed her hand with his own, shaking it "Friends."

After that, both of them turned and directed to two different doors to try calming down things a bit between the other members of their squad.

Nick exited the church with fast steps, and was relieved to find his friend sat down on the building's stairs, looking at the former Prodigium's soldiers with a stare heavy with emotions. He didn't acknowledge the other man, not even when he sat down next to him as well.

Nick looked at him, not liking the fact that he couldn't read his expression, and asked, sighing "Chris, buddy, talk to me. I thought you didn't resent Ahmanet anymore, what changed? It can't really be what you said earlier" When his best friend didn't meet his eyes, he followed his gaze and asked "It's about them, isn't it?"

Chris clenched his jaw, and finally turned to look at him; anger, frustration, sadness and more anger all mixed in his eyes "Yes Nick, it's precisely about them."

Nick didn't avert his eyes, he knew his friend needed to take out his rage, and he was fine in being the punchball. After all, it was because of him that he had found himself involved in all of that, so he simply said "Talk to me."

Chris stood up suddendly and started pacing in front of him, an hand running through his hair as he started talking "I hate how she refers to them as if they are nothing more than her puppets. I mean, I know they are now, I had been one myself, but damn man, couldn't she just show them some respect at least now that she is trying to change, to become a better person? Shouldn't she feel the need to treat them better? To release them? Thinking about it, why the hell is she still keeping them, since she is so powerful?"

Nick didn't interrupt him to answer his questions, knowing that his friend needed to take all his rage out of his system, and that he was in part right. Also, he couldn't speak for Ahmanet.

Chris stopped his pacing a few steps away from one of those soldiers, looking at him with sad, empathising eyes for a few moments, then added with a much calmer voice "They don't deserve it Nick. No one does."

After that he finally turned his head to meet his friend's eyes, and Nick stood up, coming closer to him and grabbing his shoulders "I'm sorry that you had to experience the curse, and I'm sorry that you have to see it done to other people."

"I don't need you to feel sorry" Chris talked back, his shoulders tensing again under his touch, but his tone didn't change "I need you to understand what I'm saying" he lifted his hand to indicate one of the soldiers "Being the receiving end of that curse SUCKS" he shouted, rage and determination shone through his eyes "And I won't leave nor let them be in this state any further."

Nick nodded "I understand what you are saying, I really do. And I agree. If you let me, I'll ask Ahmanet to free them as soon as possible."

Chris nodded as well "That would be very much appreciated, since you are the only one she listens to."

Nick slightly bowed his head, in an effort to keep himself calm, and answered "That's not true. She may listen to me more, but she is not deaf nor unwilling to listen to anyone who speaks to her in a civil way" he threw a pointed and scolding look to his friend, which had the decency to look at least a little bit guilty.

Chris huffed "I may have overreacted, but can you blame me? Apart from the soldiers' problem, she always has this condescending look on her face the rare times she looks at me that never fails to get on my nerves. I can smell her sense of superiority from a mile away, it's a mistery how the Prodigium still hasn't found us; all they have to do is following it."

Nick rolled his eyes at his friend's dramatic personality, half amused by his words and half annoyed to hear him talking about her lover that way "Chris, she is literally the daughter of a pharaoh, I don't think we can hold her princess attitude against her" he waited for the other man to gave a reluctant nod of agreement at his words, then added "Also, I don't think anyone has ever dared to speak to her the way you do, the way we all do. She is not used to be talked at in such an informal way, nor to be seen as an equal from all of us "mere mortals". Hell, I don't think she is used to be seen as a normal human being either anymore. But I promise you, she is really trying to adequate on a normal, human life, but it isn't easy for her, she struggles a lot and doesn't understands many things about our society and our world. I am going to help her, of course, and be at her side for everything she needs; and I don't expect for you to do the same, I would never ask you that after everything she had put you through. The only thing I'm asking you is to be patient with her, and to please try to get along with her, meaning not provoke or disrespect her as you keep doing from your first meet. And to tell her how you feel about the soldiers' thing, to clarify things with her once and for all. Can you do that?"

Chris took a very deep breath, then answered "Yes, I can. If she does make an effort as well to get along with me, I will behave too. And I'll talk to her right after we are finished to apologize."

Nick slapped his shoulder and squeezed it while answering "Than you Chris, you don't know how much that means to me. I.." he interrupted himself, swallowed and continued, looking at his friend straight in the eyes "I think I love her."

Chris eyes widened, but after the initial shock his words caused, he smiled knowingly "Yes, I think you do too" at the other man's silent question, he elaborated "I've never seen you so taken by a woman. The way you speak to her, search and offer physical contact, defend her…it's clear as the day that you really care about her, and that it has nothing to do with the curse that bonds the two of you."

Nick furrowed his eyebrows "I know that, but how can you?"

Chris chuckled "Dude, she could be a good person deep down all her regal bitchy attitude, but her magic is dark, very dark, I could feel it. The curse that bonds you two together may be different from the one that bonded me to her, but its dark, evil nature is the same. But the feelings you have for each others? They are pure from both sides. And that's why I'm happy for you, both of you."

Nick smiled, then laughed, happy, and exclaimed "I love her Chris! I love her!"

His friend laughed as well, his previously darm mood now brightened, and squeezed the other man's shoulder as well, happy for him, then said "You have to tell her, buddy."

"I certainly will" Nick smiled, and headed back inside the church, his best friend at his side, as it should always be.

Jenny exited the church and found Ahmanet graciously sitted on one of the chairs disposed to the side of the building. When she came closer to her, she noticed the princess was looking at the Stone with a thoughtful expression, moving it in her hand and observing the way the sun's rays hit its surface.

When the princess moved her eyes on her, Jenny made a gesture toowards the chair next to Ahmanet's and asked "May I?"

The mummy nodded and the other woman sat down as well.

After a pause Ahmanet asked "Where is my Chosen?"

"He is talking to Chris right now, to calm him down and figure out what made him snap like that" Jenny answered quietly.

When the princess simply nodded again, without saying anything, she continued "You two need to clear the tension. It's not good for the group."

Ahmanet turned her head towards her so fast that Jenny feared she might had hurt herself, but the princess didn't show any pain as she talked back "I don't recall doing anything to antagonize him, even if his playful and disrespectful personality gets on my nerves most of the time. And I don't have to tell you that back at my time my medjai would have had his head for far less than him talking to me that way."

Jenny sighed "I know, but the world has changed a lot from your time. I can't imagine how hard it must be for you to adapt to it" when the mummy adverted her gaze, the other woman took her hand, immediately bringing her eyes back on herself "But ehi, Nick will help you, and so will I."

They shared a smile and Jenny continued "Nick will surely make Chris to understand his mistake and apologize to you, but you have to be patient with him as well, if you want to get along with him."

Ahmanet furrowed his eyebrow "I don't really want to."

Jenny snorted, amused by her blatant honesty, then, forcing herself to a more serious expression she said "It would be great for Nick though, that the two most important people of his life aren't constantly at each other's throat" seeing that her words gained the mummy's undiveded attention, she added "And if you want to be part of Nick's life, you will have to accept Chris' presence as well. They are like brothers."

Ahmanet pondered her words in silence for a few moments, then agreed quietly "You are right, I have never thought about this that way. I'll speak with him and try to be more patient for my Chosen's happiness."

Jenny nodded, then chuckled, and when the princess looked at her lifting her eyebrows in question, she explained "I have to admit that watching you put him in his place has been pretty amusing. I mean, you even called him "Christian", I have never heard someone calling him with his full name…and your glare was just terrifying, I hope to never be at the receiving end of it!"

The mummy smirked at her words, pleased, then chuckled and answered "Not bad, right? I'm very proud of myself."

Jenny smiled and relaxed against the chair, and the two of them just looked out at the trees in front of them.

It was Ahmanet who broke the silence this time "Actually, I intentended to talk to you too."

That caught Jenny's attention, and the woman took her gaze back to meet the mummy's, and asked "About what?"

"About the way to turn me back into a human" a pause, then "I'm worried."

"You don't have to be" Jenny answered softly, appreciating that Ahmanet was opening up to her and sharing her concerns "We will help you, we gave you our words. Nick will be by your side the entire time and I want you to know that you can't count on me too."

She leaned slightly towards the princess and took her hand, looking at her straight in the eyes before adding "I know it can be scary for you to face this new world without the support of your power, but I promise you are not alone. And we will help you through this. I know about your previous life, Ahmanet, and I know you are a strong, determined and resourceful woman, who never gives up. And that's exactly what tells me that you will be just fine" she smiled and squeezed her hand "Screw that, you will be great with or without your powers."

The mummy just stared at her with wide eyes, completely surprised and taken aback by her words. She studied her expression carefully, trying to figure out if she was lying to her, or trying to manipulate her in some way, but, to her relief and great commotion, she found none of those things, absolutely nothing but honesty, admiration and care. Ahmanet's eyes filled with tears. She had never had a friend, not even in her previous life, since all her energies and focus had to be on her training, and a friend would had been a useless distraction. That was what every teacher had always told her, and what she had arrived to believe. She had never know the warmth that a supportive, caring friend could have sprouted in her heart. So she was unprepared when she felt it spread in her chest at Jenny's beautiful words, and she was at a loss on how to react to them, on how to express her gratitude and her relief in knowing that she wasn't alone. She was overwhelmed.

Finally, after a few moments, Ahmanet squeezed her hand back and simply said "Thank you."

Two short words that did actually succeed in carrying the great commotion and gratefulness she was feeling, if the warm smile Jenny gave her in response was anything to go by.

That peaceful moment didn't last long though, because a shadow of worry darkened Ahmanet's face as she said "But that's not what I was worried about. Evoking that storm earlier made me wonder about something, or rather someone, which I haven't think about in a while."

"What do you mean? Who are you worried about?" Jenny asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

Ahmanet kept her gaze as she answered, with a tense voice "Set, the egyptian god of the Chaos."

The other woman paled visibly, and turned her whole body towards her, giving her undivided attention to the mummy "He is the god which gave you your powers, isn't he?"

Ahmanet nodded, and elaborated "I made a pact with him to obtain them. My part of the deal was to transfer his essence" she glanced at the Stone briefly "to a male mortal who would have reigned by my side. The first time I tried, I have been stopped by the medjai, who killed my Chosen and mummified me alive. When you freed me, I chose Nick as my new Setepai, but I couldn't turn him without the Stone, and now that I have it I would like nothing more than to destroy it. Because after everything he has done for me, I could never make him became Set. I…I can't lose him." The princess lowered her gaze, overwhelmed by the situation, the confession, and her always growing feelings for her Chosen.

She lifted it back to meet Jenny's when the woman squeezed her hand and murmured "I know, and you won't. We'll find a way to save both of you, I promise." When the princess nodded, grateful, she asked "What happens if we destroy the Stone?"

Ahmanet furrowed her eyebrow, then answered "I would say the remainings of Set's power on this world would be lost, but I don't know for certain what would happen to me. I don't know if that would make my powers disappear as well, or if they would remain inside of me" a pause, and then "Worst of all, I don't know how Set would react." She shuddered.

Jenny wided her eyes at the action. That strong woman who had been through so much, had dark powers and could fight like a veteran warrion actually shuddered at the mere possibility of a negative reaction of an ancient egyptian god.

"Okay, let's not panic" the woman started "one thing at time. First, do you actually believe that Set could do something to you if you broke your pact? Could he actually come to Earth to punish you?" She knew she sounded skeptical, but she couldn't help it. Come on, a god coming down to them to punish a disobedient princess? That was a little hard to believe. And yes, Jenny knew that someone must have given the powers to the mummy, but it had been a very long time ago, in a different world. In their present time ancient gods were mere myths and legends, and the reason ruled over them and discredited them. And she was a studious, her mind was her weapon.

"Why do you make it sound so absurd?" The princess asked, genuinely confused.

Jenny took a deep breath and stood up, letting go of her had, and started pacing "Well, there is no soft way to tell you this, Ahmanet, but in our time, in our society, no one believes in your gods. They are just fantasy stories for us, traces of ancient cultures, nothing more."

The mummy's eyes widened, and she didn't speak for some moments, reflecting of the implications of her words, then asked "Do you mean you don't pray them for a good harvest or protection? You don't offer them sacrifices to placate their fury nor use their power to see the future?" When Jenny shook her head, she tried one more time "Not even my people in Egypt?"

The other woman lifted her hands , palms up, in an helpless gesture "Well, they all have been born in this world at this time, and this is their reality. A reality where most of your beliefs are no more than myths to us, and your religion has lost most, if not all, of his followers. Now most people venerate different gods, some only one, others more than one, and some none at all."

Ahmanet welcomed her words with silence again and a thoughtful expression on her face; then she commented "Well, that's a pity. To know that most of my culture's morals have been lost in the time while I was…incapacitated hurts me. I wanted to make mine a great empire; I have never imagined I would have seen the day when it didn't exist anymore." A heavy pause followed, but before Jenny could even think about conforting words to offer, the princess sighed and added "This could, however, be a good thing for us."

Jenny frowned "What do you mean? How can this help us?"

Ahmanet stood up as well, and started gesticulating while talking "When I made the pact with Set I had to evoke him. It hadn't been too difficult, since at that time our gods were venerated in all our empire, and that made them strong. I think that also gave them the power to interfere in our world; so much that Set himself appeared into my room to give me the dagger that turned me." She swallowed, remembering very well the absolute terror she had felt that night, and continued "But now it's different. Now I cannot perceive his presence in this world anymore. I can just sense it into the Stone, and in the powers he gave me, but that's all."

Jenny's eyes brightened as she asked "So you are saying that…"

"There is a chance that he cannot interfere in this world anymore, and that if we destroy the Stone, breaking the contract, all his powers that remains here, including mine, will be gone, and so will he" Ahmanet concluded.

Jenny smiled and commented "I think it's worth a try, but we will have to take precautions."

The mummy lifted an eyebrow and asked "Do you have something in mind?"

The other woman nodded "Actually, I do. But we have to discuss it together with the others."

She turned to enter the church, but the princess grabbed her arm, stopping her.

When Jenny turned towards her, lifting an eyebrow in question, Ahmanet swallowed, uncertain, then said "I just wanted to thank you for your previous words, and to tell you that you can count on me too" she lowered her gaze, embarassed, and added, releasing her arm "I'm sorry, I don't really know how to behave with people who acts genuinely nice to me, without second ends, which I can tell you don't have. I've never had a friend, and I was wondering…" she lifted her eyes, meeting the other woman's, and asked, voice laced with insecurity "if you would like to be my first one?"

Jenny watched her in surprise for a moment, then smiled brightly and quickly answered "I would love to." Her heart ached for the princess before her, for everything she had been put through, and she was happy the mummy hadn't choose the path of revenge, instead of the one of redemption, because then, if they all helped, which they would, her story could actually have an happy twist. And knowing her as she was beginning to, Jenny was happy to be contribute to it and be on her side. So she smiled and said "You are doing great though, for someone who has never had a friend in her life. Now that you have one, do with me what it feels right for you, and if it's wrong I'll tell you, but do not be afraid to try."

Ahmanet smiled widely at her, her whole, creepy and usually dark face brightening as she asked "How may I express great gratitude correctly?"

Jenny chuckled at her formality, widened her arms and answered "Friends usually hug each others."

The princess did, happily diving in the other's woman awaiting arms and sighed. She liked hugs. They felt like a nice change.

Once they were all inside the church again, way more relaxed than before, Chris took a step towards Ahmanet and said "I would like to talk to you" when the princess nodded, he continued "I'm sorry for the way I've talked to you before, it won't happen again."

The mummy tilted her head and closed her eyes in an accepting gesture, and said "Is there anything else you would like to tell me before we move on?"

"There is, actually" Chris took a deep breath, then elaborated "I ask you to free the Prodigium's soldiers under your controll. Seeing them like that reminds me of when I was under your controll as well, and it's not pleasant, quite the opposite in fact" he looked at her right in the eyes as he added "We don't really need them, after all, and I'm sure they have a life to return to."

Ahmanet looked surprise at his request, and thought for a moment before answering "That can be done, once we figure out a way to keep them from returning with the entire Prodigium's forces and coming after us. If my plan works, I will be powerless against them."

Before Chris could say something, Jenny intervened "I actually have a way" all the eyes, humans and not, moved on her, and she continued "If you disarm and free them, I can come back with them to the Prodigium's base to talk to Henry. I'll tell him what we want to do and ask for his help and assistence. In this way, if Set actually tries something, as Ahmanet fears, we won't be facing his wrath alone. And if he doesn't, well, Henry will see with his own eyes that Ahmanet won't be a threat for the world anymore, and he'll leave us be."

An astonished silence followed her words, then Nick took a step forwad, clearly unconvinced "It's a good plan, even if someone will have to explain me this whole Set thing, but I think you put too much good faith in Henry. I don't trust him, and I don't think Ahmanet does as well. Even if he agrees and doesn't lock you up to torture or interrogate you, how do we know he will keep his word?"

Jenny smiled, and answered "We won't" then she turned to Chris "How advanced are your computer skills?"

The man smirked "Just as much as I think you'll need them to be."

"Perfect, in that case we'll force him to keep his word. We'll just need Chris to hacker and steal some very secret information from their computers and threaten Henry to divulge them to the world if he tries anything. Do you think your skills are advanced enough for this?" Jenny asked teasingly.

Chris laughed "It will be as easy as breathe."

The two of them high fived and turned to the other two.

Ahmanet had a confused expression on her face, but shrugged and said "I don't understand what Chris' part is about, but apart from that I trust you."

Jenny nodded at her, complicity shining in both their eyes, then the mummy asked "My Chosen?"

Nick grabbed her hand and looked in her eyes lovingly, before turning to the other two and said "Let's get this plan started then."


End file.
